Second Chances
by MiracleRomance
Summary: The light of the Silver Crystal did more than resurrect the Sailor Senshi: it also resurrected some of Sailor Moon's previous enemies who had died redeeming themselves- Prince Dimande and Saphir. NOW COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1: Reborn

**Chapter One: Reborn**

_I have been in a deep sleep for a long time. I do not mind, because I know that my death was not meaningless. I died saving the woman I love, the Earth's beautiful future ruler, Sailor Moon. I recall her crying as I breathed my last breath, and then I was gone. My only regret is not being able to keep my promise to my brother. In my desire for power, I had forgotten the real reason we wanted to go to Earth: to see and live among beautiful flowers. _

_I have been left undisturbed for a long time, though I can sense Saphir's presence around me. I am saddened, yet comforted, by this. _

_Suddenly, I am awake. What is this bright light that has disturbed my sleep? I recognize it in an instant: this is the power of Sailor Moon, no—Serenity. I am alive, and I yearn to meet her once again._

Usagi's love for the world had allowed her to use the full power of the Silver Crystal and light up the galaxy. This power had resurrected her companions; however, the light was so bright that it also reached former foes of Sailor Moon who had died in redemption. Both Saphir and Prince Dimande were awoken by the Silver Crystal's light.

"Saphir! Wake up, Saphir!" Tears of joy streamed down Dimande's face when he realized that his brother had also been resurrected. The guilt Dimande had felt in allowing his brother to die had finally been lifted. Finally, Saphir opened his eyes.

Seeing his brother standing over him, and sensing that Dimande was no longer corrupted by Wiseman, Saphir also began to cry.

"Where am I? Wiseman…" Saphir did not know what had happened, and only recalled his struggle in his final moments to warn his brother of Wiseman's motives.

"Wiseman is gone, Saphir. I don't know what has happened, but the light of the Silver Crystal has given us a second chance," Dimande smiled at has younger brother. _Thank you, Sailor Moon._

Saphir was thankful that his brother was no longer being corrupted, and that the struggles with Wiseman were over, but he could sense that Dimande's obsession with Neo-Queen Serenity remained, and this bothered him deeply.

"What will you do now, brother?" Saphir asked, wanting to know whether Dimande still had plans to win Sailor Moon's affections by any means. Saphir was suddenly reminded of his own love. _Petz… what are you doing now?_

"It has been years since any of that took place, Saphir. And we have been reborn in the past, the time of Sailor Moon, not Crystal Tokyo. I do not know where my place is anymore," Dimande answered. _But I know that I must find her. _

_It has been years since…_ Saphir could not even think it. _Petz… surely she is over me now. I should not interfere with her life, she thinks I am dead… and she is probably better off without me._

Dimande could not stop thinking about Sailor Moon. _I love you, Sailor Moon. We will meet again._

….

"What do you want to do today, Mamo-chan? I thought we could go shopping… A new store just opened up and I thought we could go see what the new styles are!" Usagi clung to Mamoru as though she were determined to never let go again.

"Don't you ever get suspicious of new stores suddenly opening up?" Mamoru queried. Noting Usagi's puzzled expression, he explained, "Well, have you never noticed that the latest enemy activity always seems to end up appearing from new businesses? Every time we try a new place we're attacked it seems. Either way, I guess we should take a look."

"Oh, Mamo-chan, there hasn't been any attacks since before…" Usagi did not want to be reminded of the horrible battle that had so recently ended. _Galaxia… ChibiChibi… Seiya… I hope that you are all living happy, peaceful lives now, wherever you are._

Usagi and Mamoru, so soon after the recent battle in which Usagi revealed her true powers and lit up the galaxy, had returned to normal lives. Still, in the back of their minds they knew that they had not faced their last battle. At the very least, some calamity was going to occur in only a few years that would lead to Usagi and Mamoru becoming Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion. Despite knowing this, they tried as best they could to not think about the future, and to focus on living normal lives in the present, as Usagi had always wanted.

Suddenly, while walking through a crowd of people on a busy street, Usagi's arm brushed against someone else. When she turned to look, she sensed that she knew this person already. _The white hair… cool, vacant expression... silver eyes… could it be? Dimande…_

By the time Usagi had realized who she had seen, he had disappeared completely from the crowd. _Maybe I'm seeing things… it couldn't be him, I saw Wiseman kill him years ago, right in front of me. _

"Usako… is something wrong? You look pale, like you just saw a ghost." Mamoru was worried; it wasn't like Usagi to be so silent.

"Maybe I did…"


	2. Chapter 2: Rekindled

**Chapter Two: Rekindled **

_I have found her. She is older now, and closer to becoming her future form- Neo-Queen Serenity. She seems happy, but I can sense that recent events have had a deep effect on her, forcing her to mature quickly. As always, she is beautiful; perhaps more beautiful now than ever before. _

_However, I sensed something on that busy street, amongst the crowd. Something evil. I have resolved to protect her—perhaps if I can keep her safe from this, she will come to love me as I love her. _

"You went to see her, didn't you, brother?" Saphir asked, worried that Dimande's love for Sailor Moon would drive him to drastic action as it had before. _Why can't you understand? She does not love you, she will not leave him- it is her fate._

"I keep no secrets from you, Saphir. I went to see her. I was intrigued to see her, to see how she has grown since then." _I still need to thank her for reviving us…_

"What exactly do you plan to do?" _Please stop obsessing over her, brother. _"You realize that she thinks that you are dead, right? There is no way that she can take this well." _Certainly she is better off without you, just like Petz is better off without me…_

"There must be at least some part of her that wished to see me, to see us, again, for the power of the Silver Crystal to resurrect us. Besides, all I plan to do is protect her; anything else that comes as a result to that is secondary," Dimande explained.

_I cannot admit to my brother that I still have such strong feelings for her; clearly he does not understand, and would not approve. But what I tell him is true: for if anything happens to her, the future that we know, and her future self whose eyes captivated my desire, will never come to pass._

"Why should you protect her, brother? She has her own powers, and guardians to protect her. Please don't do this, Dimande." _Nothing good can possibly come from this._

"You sensed it too, I'm sure. There is an evil presence surrounding this city. Something is different this time; I don't think that she can face this alone. Please protect her with me, Saphir. I need you." _And now, she needs me. I am sure of it. _

Saphir considered. _She did protect me when I went to warn Dimande about Wiseman, despite how badly I treated her before then. And it is because of her that my brother and I are alive now… _"Fine, brother, I will protect her with you. But I am doing this simply to repay her for all that she has done for me."

"As am I," Dimande replied, satisfied.

….

"Moon Eternal, Make-up!" Usagi cried, as she transformed into Eternal Sailor Moon. Despite her praying for a normal life, Usagi found herself needing to fight once more. _But we defeated Chaos… it took all the strength that I had, all the love in the world, but we banished Chaos. If not another incarnation of Chaos, then who is this new enemy? _

By the time she had transformed, many people in the surrounding area had already collapsed on the ground for lack of energy. _Another enemy after people's energy? Please don't put the city through this again… Please don't put me and my friends through this again…_

The being that Sailor Moon found herself fighting appeared to be some kind of a robot. Despite its tarnished, mud caked and dusty appearance, the robot was incredibly strong and fast. Sailor Moon noticed that even as she attacked the robot, it continued to drain energy from nearby humans, able to do absorbing their energy into its bull-like horns.

_I can't go on like this… but I need to protect these people. Why are none of my attacks working against this? _

Sailor Moon, unable to contact the other Senshi in the midst of the fight, was growing weary. Finally, Tuxedo Mask appeared, throwing a rose at the robot. Unfortunately, the rose did little more than briefly distract the robot.

"Don't let your guard down, Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Mask yelled. _I need to protect her!_

After hearing Tuxedo Mask's voice and recognizing him as the origin of the rose that had served as a distraction, the robot shot a blast of energy at Tuxedo Mask, knocking him out before he was even able to reach Sailor Moon. The robot then directed its attention back to Sailor Moon, and sent an even stronger blast of energy at her. Sailor Moon, who did not have enough time to dodge the attack, braced herself for the impact.

Suddenly, Dimande appeared in front of Sailor Moon, and after picking her up, teleported away. Tuxedo Mask regained consciousness just in time to see Sailor Moon being carried away by Dimande. After they had disappeared, the robot also vanished, as though it were only after Sailor Moon.

…

Rei, who had been walking back to the shrine from school, sensed an evil aura nearby. Immediately, she transformed into Sailor Mars and called the other Senshi. _People are collapsing all around me… who could be doing this? _

"Everyone, come quickly! Something has been draining energy from the people, and I fear we may already be too late to stop them!" _Sailor Moon may already be in danger… I can't get a hold of her, and I can't sense her presence anywhere. What could have happened? _Unfortunately, Mars had made it to the scene too late, after both Sailor Moon and the robot had disappeared.The other Senshi arrived soon after Sailor Mars, but there was nothing left for them to do but look after the people and search for Sailor Moon. Instead of finding Sailor Moon, all they found was Tuxedo Mask, struggling to get up.

"Tuxedo Mask! What happened?" Mars cried, upset that she had not sensed the evil presence sooner. "Where's Sailor Moon?"

Weak from the attack still, Tuxedo Mask was only able to breathe "Dimande…" before collapsing once again.

"Dimande?" all four Senshi said in unison, astonished.


	3. Chapter 3: Reconciled

**Chapter Three: Reconciled**

_I wake up in a strange room that I've never been in before. I look down and notice that I've detransformed… What happened? How did I get here? Instinctively, I grasp for my brooch. But I feel too weak to transform…_

"So you've finally awoken. Are you feeling alright?" Dimande asked Usagi while handing her a glass of water. _I am impressed by her new form: Eternal Sailor Moon is a form second only to the Queen. She looks almost like Neo-Queen Serenity; surely it will only be a few years now until she ascends to her position. And she is clearly much stronger now than when I last saw her, though still her power wasn't enough to defeat whatever that robot was…_

"Dimande? So I wasn't seeing things… you really are alive! But how is that possible?" Usagi wasn't sure whether she should be happy about this or not. _How can I be sure that he has stayed on our side, or if he has been corrupted again? _

"Actually, I wanted to thank you for that: it seems it was the power of the Silver Crystal that resurrected us. So, thank you." Saphir still felt uncomfortable around her: resenting her for sparking Dimande's obsession, yet thankful that she had faith in him and protected him despite his actions.

"Saphir, you too? I had no idea… Oh, Petz will be so happy I'm sure!" _She was so distraught by your death…_

"No—I don't want her to know. Please don't tell her anything." _Unlike my brother, I have chosen to let the one I love continue living her life rather than interrupt it with my reappearance._

"If you're sure… I haven't spoken to her for a long time, anyway. Dimande, why am I here? Where are we, anyway?"

"I'm sorry for taking you away from your companions like that. But I saw that blast coming towards you, and I could not think of anything else to do to protect you from it. You fainted when I picked you up, so I brought you back here to regain your strength. This is our new home: it's really nothing special, just a normal house, not magical at all—we're trying to live as close to normal people as is possible considering who we are... If you think that you're strong enough, I'll take you back." _I wish she wouldn't go so soon, but I can't gain her trust by keeping her here. And I learned from Sailor Moon herself that love cannot be won by force._

Usagi was taken aback. _He did that to protect me… that's the second time he's risked his life to save me. Maybe he really has changed; he's treating my so kindly._ "Oh, well thank you for saving me. I won't forget it. I'm glad that both of you are alive and well again, however it happened. But yes, I think that I'm ready to go home now… my friends will start to wonder where I am if I'm gone too long."

"Certainly. Though, Sailor Moon, I want you to know that we are both planning on fighting against this new evil with you. It must be very strong if it was unfazed by your attacks, which I can tell are much stronger than your earlier powers. And something tells me that the robot you were fighting is the least of your troubles… something bigger and stronger is sure to follow." _I will protect you, Sailor Moon. It's strange—I love you, but I don't even know your real name…_

"Thank you, Dimande, and Saphir. I'll have to talk with the other Senshi about it first though." _Rei and the others aren't likely to approve of Dimande helping me… _"And I'm sure you're right, this enemy is very strong and this is only the beginning—that's part of what worries me. But if we all combine our powers, I feel that our love for the world and for each other can accomplish anything. I should really be leaving now… thank you for your help." _Why is it that I feel so comfortable here, yet so uneasy at the same time? _

…

"Are you absolutely sure that it was Prince Dimande? How is that possible?" Rei questioned Mamoru after they had made their way back to Hikawa Shrine. _He must have sent that robot after her… He always was obsessed with her._

"It was definitely Dimande, that I am sure of. It seems unbelievable, but by now I've realized that anything is possible." _I need to find him… Usako, please be alright…_

"We should focus on what we know: you said that the robot was covered in dust… so maybe it was made from some kind of ancient technology. Were there any other distinguishing features?" Ami asked.

"I didn't get a very good look at it before it knocked me out… but I could see that it had horns—it looked sort of like a mechanical bull, only with arms and legs. And it had what looked like Greek symbols and letters covering its entire body."

"That doesn't matter right now. We need to go after Dimande and rescue Usagi. The robot was probably just to draw her out—it did disappear right after Dimande did," Makoto said, wanting to take immediate action.

"I thought that Dimande had changed, but clearly I was wrong. He is our enemy again. The longer we wait, the more danger Usagi is in," Minako stated.

"You're all wrong—there's no need for that!" Usagi cried, suddenly appearing before them.

"Usako! You're safe! What happened?" Mamoru ran up to Usagi immediately. _What exactly is going on here? _"I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect you…"

"Mamo-chan, I'm so glad that you're alright! I was so worried—the robot hit you pretty hard." Usagi said, immediately relieved to see Mamoru's face. "You're all mistaken about Dimande. He saved me, and only took me back to his home so that I could recover. I left as soon as I felt well enough to walk. He wants to help us, he's not our enemy."

Rei, however, was not so sure of Dimande's intentions. "How do you know that he didn't send that robot, that this is all some elaborate plan? Maybe he's just trying to get you to trust him. You shouldn't trust people so easily, Usagi."

"That robot wasn't sent by him. I just know. He really has changed. Please believe me!" _Why do I feel almost guilty for having been with Dimande? I wasn't even there long, and nothing happened…_

Reluctantly, Minako, Rei, Makoto, Ami and Mamoru all agreed to trust in Usagi's instincts. "But we're not letting Dimande help us," Minako ruled. _He's definitely still obsessed with her—there's no telling what he might do. We have to keep her away from him._

"Usagi, everyone… I think that I've figured out where that robot came from. I was doing some research while you were talking, based on Mamoru's description. It seems that the robot has some connection to the Ancient Minoans… though why it would attack you and how it has survived this long I don't know," Ami explained. _Nothing makes any sense anymore. First Dimande reappears, and now our enemy is from some ancient civilization?_

None of the other girls knew who the Ancient Minoans were—only Mamoru had heard of them before. He decided to explain to Usagi and the others: "The Ancient Minoans were a civilization that lived in what is now considered part of Greece. They were known for their advanced city centers, and distinct art and architecture. They're where the myth of the Minotaur, half bull and half man, came from… Which explains why that robot had horns like a bull. But they were destroyed by a volcano a very long time ago—are you sure?"

Ami shook her head. "I'm not completely sure, but they're the only source I can find that links bulls, Greek writing and symbols, and ancient technology."

Usagi was unable to focus on the discussion of the new enemy—she was too busy thinking about Dimande. _I feel so lost and confused… I knew that my friends wouldn't let Dimande help us, but I was secretly hoping that they would. Both Saphir and Dimande seem different now. They're trying their best to live like normal people, but they're not comfortable in this time and they have no friends to help them. Maybe I should go help them anyway, despite what everyone said… I don't like doing things behind my friends' backs, but I really feel that this is the right thing to do. _

_But Mamo-chan wouldn't approve of this either… I can't keep secrets from him like this. What should I do? _

_Why isn't she looking me in the eye? Usako… it's almost as if you're hiding something from me. What is she thinking of doing? I'm worried about her—she's so trusting of everyone. Dimande may have changed, but he is clearly still obsessed with her and I need to protect her from him. But how can I do that without seeming jealous or suspicious of her? I trust Usako; it's Dimande that worries me. What should I do?_


	4. Chapter 4: Resigned

**Chapter Four: Resigned **

_I should have never agreed to protect Sailor Moon with Dimande… I knew from the beginning that it wasn't him merely wanting to thank her for reviving us, that he really still loves her and hopes to win her love somehow. _

_Why am I here? I shouldn't even be alive. I keep thinking about what Dimande said; that she must have wanted us to be revived in order for the Silver Crystal to have this effect. I wonder if that's true… I can't think of any reason that she would care whether either of us was alive. I wonder…_

"Oh, Dimande, you're back? I trust she found her way back safely?" _Maybe now we can try to forget about her and live a normal life on this strange, yet beautiful planet._

"Yes, Saphir. She seemed to be fine when I left her. It must be the Silver Crystal that allows her to recover so quickly," Dimande quickly responded to his brother. "_Usagi_…"

"What did you say, brother?"

"Nothing…" _I finally know her name, her real name. _Dimande thought back on the moment when he finally learned her name. _"Please call me Usagi! We're friends now, aren't we?" _

_Are we friends, really? Could we ever reach that point? With all my planning, and with my wanting to protect her, I never could really imagine a time when we would be friends. I don't want to be friends with her… I want to love her._

"Brother, I was thinking that we could finally go find a field of flowers… You did promise…" _It was our dream since we were children, or have you forgotten that? _

"Saphir, I'm sorry but I'm not in the mood to join you right now. I'll go with you next time, I promise." Dimande was too preoccupied thinking about Usagi to notice Saphir's desperate plea to get his real brother back.

"Fine." _Not that it means anything to just go alone. He has forgotten. _Saphir was about to walk out the door, but upon opening it noticed Usagi standing on the porch. _What does she want? She just left here…_

"Hi Saphir! Sorry for the intrusion, but I just thought…" _What should I say? I don't even know why I'm here. I was still debating whether to knock. But now my decision has been made for me. _"Well, I understand that you're both trying to live normal lives and so I thought you might like someone to help you get adjusted. I know you're not really comfortable in this time and on this planet yet…"

Upon hearing her voice, Dimande immediately made his way to the door. "Oh, Usagi, you're back here already? We were just about to go search for a field of flowers, Saphir has always been fascinated with flowers and I promised him that once we lived on Earth I would show him an entire field."

"Brother, there's no need to bore her by having her come with us. I'm sure she has seen enough of flowers and doesn't need to come," Saphir snapped. _Of course now you remember your promise, brother. But you invited her to come? How could you? _

"Oh, I love flowers! There's a wonderful park nearby that has many beautiful flowers. I could take you both there if you'd like." _I get the feeling that Saphir doesn't want me here. It's like he's mad at me for some reason. But I really do want to be his friend… he has no one, especially since he refuses to see Petz. I want to be a friend to both of them, if they'll let me. That's why I came, I think…_

"That would be perfect, wouldn't it, Saphir?" Dimande responded, pleased that Usagi wanted to spend time with him.

….

"You let Usagi go to see Dimande? Why would you do that, Mamoru? We should be protecting her, not sending her off to spend time with him!" Rei yelled, frustrated both with Mamoru for allowing Usagi to go, and with Usagi for going to see Dimande.

"She's her own person, Rei. I can't force her to not go. I love her, and I want to protect her, but she has to be free to make her own choices. Don't worry; Luna is following her, so you all should be contacted if anything happens. I don't like this any more than you do, but I had to let her go." _I tried not to show my anxiety in front of Usako, but I'm very worried about this. Why do I get the feeling that there's more to her wanting to visit Dimande than she let on? _

"But we told her not to go, that we couldn't trust Dimande just yet. Ami's been looking into things still to make sure that he's not involved with the recent attacks. And even if he isn't… Usagi has hardly told us anything. How is Dimande even alive?" _Usagi has been so secretive about everything that has happened since the fight. I wonder what really went on between her and Dimande. It's not like her to keep secrets from us._

"I'm not sure that she understands that herself. The timing of it is very strange, though—both this new enemy and Dimande appearing right after we were all revived by the Silver Crystal. Something tells me that this is no coincidence," Mamoru replied.

"All the more reason that we should be protecting her. From now on, one of us should be with her at all times," Minako said as she arrived with Makoto and Ami. "Sorry that we're late—we were trying to contact Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna. If this is going to turn into another major battle, we'll need their help, even if it doesn't involve invaders from outside of the solar system. They should be on their way here now."

"We don't have time to wait for them. I just got a message from Luna—she's lost sight of Usagi. And I'm getting some bad feelings; there might have been another attack. We should transform and then head over to where Luna last saw her and try to find where she went. Whether Dimande is behind the attacks or not, clearly Usagi is the target," Rei announced. _I hope that I didn't sense this too late like last time… Usagi, please be safe!_

The Senshi immediately made their way to where Luna was. Thanks to Rei's abilities, they were able to find the park that Usagi had gone to with Dimande and Saphir. The Senshi arrived to find the same robot from before attacking Sailor Moon. They also found Dimande and Saphir standing in front of Sailor Moon, trying to block all the robot's attacks and protect her.

"Sailor Moon!" Mars, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter cried simultaneously as they ran towards her, taking Saphir and Dimande's place protecting her from the robot's attacks.

"Everyone! I'm so glad you're here!" Sailor Moon replied. "We should do a Sailor Planet Attack—nothing else seems to work against this!"

Soon, all five Senshi joined hands and performed the Sailor Planet Attack as Dimande and Saphir stood back in amazement. The robot was significantly weakened by the attack and retreated, disappearing in thin air. The Senshi stood facing Dimande and Saphir, amazed that they had gone to such great lengths to protect Sailor Moon.

"Dimande, Saphir, you're both hurt!" Sailor Moon exclaimed.

"It's nothing," Dimande replied, though clearly he was seriously injured. "Saphir, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Saphir muttered. Though not as injured as Dimande, he also had been badly hurt by the robot in protecting Sailor Moon. _I kept my promise, brother: I protected Sailor Moon with you. My debt to her is repaid; I'm done protecting her._

"I want to thank you, on behalf of all of us, for protecting Sailor Moon before we were able to get here," Mars started. "But we can't work with you, and you can't see her anymore." _I'm sorry Usagi, but this is for the best… _

"I understand," Dimande replied, disappointed though not surprised. He turned around and began to walk away, leaning against Saphir for support. _I understand their feelings, but I will see her again. Even without their blessings, I will continue to protect her—I don't care about my own health, it means nothing without her._

"Wait!" Sailor Moon called to them, but Dimande and Saphir continued walking away, not even looking back. _They both got so hurt protecting me… why would they go that far? Everyone around me, everyone I care about, gets hurt protecting me. I can't stand it anymore! My safety means nothing if the people I love aren't safe too. The people I love… Dimande…?_


	5. Chapter 5: Reminded

**Chapter Five: Reminded**

_It took being brought back to life in an unfamiliar time, but I finally saw the beautiful flowers that this planet has to offer. I felt so at peace there, as though I finally belonged somewhere. I'm starting to understand why my brother is so enamored with Sailor Moon—Usagi, rather. She is a kind soul, and opens her heart to everyone. I never understood why she had protected me those years ago when I went to confront Wiseman and Dimande, when for all she knew it could have been a trap. I now realize that she looks for the best in everyone. And because of this, I want to be the good person she sees in me._

_I know that I had decided that my debt to her was repaid, but I am finding myself starting to genuinely care for her. Still, it worries me that Dimande is so in love with her. I want to move on with my life and take advantage of this fresh start; I don't want to dwell on people from the past. My brother doesn't see things that way: he is stuck in the past, infatuated with her. But when we were in the field together, before the attack, it was as if Dimande had forgotten all about his obsessions. The brother I knew as a child, who had comforted me and assured me that I would one day see beautiful flowers, had finally returned. _

"Saphir, I want to thank you for protecting her with me. I know that you didn't want to, and I know that it ruined the moment, but I do appreciate you going to such great lengths to protect her with me," Dimande spoke hoarsely to his brother. _I haven't been a good brother to Saphir. I've spent all my time obsessing about Usagi when really I should have stopped to just be happy that Saphir has gotten a second chance at life: he who had tried to warn me of Wiseman's true identity, who was innocent in everything save for following his brother, yet died so brutally. _

"Of course, brother. I promised you that I would, and I keep my promises. You're my older brother, after all. I don't approve of your motivations, but I think that I now understand why you care for her so much."

_Ah, yes. I could tell that Saphir resented Usagi at first, that he didn't want her to join us. I suppose I am partly to blame for that: the flowers were a personal dream and promise kept only between Saphir and I, and I should have honoured that. Still, Usagi got along well with Saphir, and we all enjoyed ourselves before the attack. She looked at us both with the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen: with loving eyes, as I had never seen before. Maybe she does love me… but her destiny is to become Neo-Queen Serenity, to rule alongside King Endymion. I do not belong with her. I know this, and yet I can't stop myself._

"Are you alright, brother? You look like you're in a lot of pain. Is there anything I can do for you?" Saphir spoke to his brother, concerned for his health. _Now my brother is weak from the fight and with every movement the pain reminds him of Sailor Moon and what he did for her. I don't know what to do. Should I protect her, caring for her as a friend, or should I leave her and her friends to face their own battles and keep my brother away from her to rid him of his obsession?_

"I'm fine, Saphir. Don't worry about me," Dimande grabbed his forehead in pain. _Fighting that robot took much of my strength. I don't know how I can protect her when such a short battle leaves me in such a terrible state. I am relieved that Saphir is not as injured as I am. He shouldn't be protecting Usagi with me: rather, I should be protecting him. _"Please, just worry about yourself, Saphir. I don't want you to be involved anymore. Starting now I want to be a better brother to you. All I want is for you to be safe and happy." _But he doesn't seem completely happy. Something tells me that he has a broken heart. Usagi did mention Petz… why has he not gone to see her? I don't understand Saphir. I no longer know my own brother… _

….

"Really, you guys don't need to crowd around me so closely. I think you're taking the protective role a bit too far, yet again," Usagi said to Minako and Makoto as they walked home. _They've been by my side all day, standing so close I can barely breathe. They always get out of hand… just like the last time… _

"Usagi, the enemy is after you, and you never know where they might be hiding. They could be disguised as a student at school with us!" Minako explained, flailing her arms wildly as she spoke.

"Somehow I can't imagine that a centuries-old robot would fit in too well at school, Minako," Makoto laughed. _She's still the same as always… she's acting just like she did that day, when we all saw Seiya express his feelings to Usagi. And now Usagi is acting the same with Dimande as she did with Seiya. She's engaged to Mamoru—she shouldn't be so friendly with other men all the time. I wonder if she's even aware of what she's doing… _"Usagi, are you alright? It's been a pretty overwhelming past few days for you. Do you want me to come over tonight? I could bring over some of the cake I just made…"

Usagi was lost in her thoughts. _Maybe it is for the best that I don't see Dimande anymore… but I want to see him. I want to thank him for what he did. Both he and Saphir looked so happy in the flower field. They're good people, I know it. I hope that they're both okay… all I can think of is them both limping away. It's all because of me. I just wanted to help them adjust to normal lives, not to put them in danger like this! _

"Usagi?" Both Minako and Makoto were astonished at how silent Usagi had been.

"Oh, sorry. I just have a lot on my mind… Thanks for the offer Mako-chan, but I promised Mamo-chan that we would spend time together tonight. Maybe tomorrow." _That's right. I should stop thinking about Dimande… I have Mamo-chan here now. I'm so glad that I have him to help me through this. I hope he never leaves my side again—I don't know what I would do without him. _"So I'll see you both tomorrow, then! I agreed to wait here outside Crown for him. Don't worry; I'm sure nothing will happen. He'll be here soon, I'm fine!"

Neither Minako nor Makoto felt comfortable leaving Usagi alone, but she insisted, and they decided that she should be safe on a busy street for a few minutes before Mamoru arrived. However, Usagi waited for much longer than a few minutes. She waited for hours, but Mamoru never came.

"Hey, Odango. Need a ride somewhere?"

Usagi looked up hopefully. "Oh, Haruka, Michiru! What are you doing here?"

"Well, the others told us that you were supposed to be waiting here. Michiru and Rei were both getting some bad feelings so we thought we'd drive over and check on you," Haruka explained.

"Thank you, but as you can see, I'm fine. I'm just waiting for Mamo-chan…" _I can't tell them that he was supposed to be here hours ago… Why is he so late? Maybe he's mad at me for something…_

"Usagi, I don't think that he's coming," Michiru said gently. "I'm only getting a faint sense of him through my mirror…" _The poor girl, she was just reunited with him and now something else has happened to him. _"Get in, we'll take you back to the shrine. Everyone is waiting for us there."

Usagi obediently got into the car. "Do you think that something has happened to him? Is he hurt, or sick?" _Of course. I should have realized sooner. This pain in my chest… Mamo-chan, your pain is my pain… _"I want to go see him. Please take me to see him!"


	6. Chapter 6: Reframed

**Chapter Six: Reframed**

"Mamo-chan! What's wrong?" Usagi ran into Mamoru's bedroom to find him collapsed on the floor. She immediately ran towards him, and with Haruka's help was able to lay him down on the bed. _Why didn't I realize this sooner? We're supposed to be connected by our destiny and our love. And all day I was ignoring the pain I felt, thinking it was just my guilt…_

"Usako…" Mamoru breathed. "The Earth… something is wrong…" He reached for Usagi's hand. When she touched him she noticed that though drenched in a feverish sweat, his hand was ice cold. "I'm sorry I never came to meet you… I tried…"

"No, it doesn't matter. I should have noticed that something was wrong sooner. It's my fault," Usagi whispered, having difficulty speaking through the tears. She looked around and noticed a bouquet of roses on the floor near where he had collapsed. She picked them up and read the card: _"Here's to our future together, forever. I love you more than life itself."_ _While I was busy feeling confused, Mamo-chan always knew that we were connected by the bonds of fate… he was certain in his feelings. How did I get so lost? I love Mamo-chan more than life itself as well… why did I ever feel unsure?_

"Usagi, we need to meet with the others to discuss this," Michiru interrupted. "I know that you want to stay, but we really need you there with us."

"Please, just let me stay a little longer. You two go ahead without me, I'll walk there. Don't worry; I'll contact everyone if something happens. Just please… let me be alone with him, even if just for a few minutes."

_How can we protect the Princess when we let her do things like this? But for some reason, I can't say no to her. _"Alright, Odango. But remember that everyone will be waiting for you," Haruka stated bluntly before leaving quietly with Michiru.

"Thank you, Usako. But you should be with your friends. Don't worry about me. See, I'm already feeling better," Mamoru said weakly while using all his strength to sit up. _She can't know how serious it is… she needs to think that I'm better so that she can continue on… Forgive me for lying to you, Usako._

"Are you sure? I should stay with you… you were hardly breathing a few minutes ago." _He's keeping something from me._

"Please… go meet with the others. That's the best thing you can do for me right now. Figure out what's disrupting the planet. I love you, Usako. Now go."

Usagi obediently left the room, covering her face to hide the tears so Mamoru would believe her to be strong.

….

_I hope that my brother will be all right without me for a little while. I just… needed to leave the house get some fresh air and think… the air is so crisp and clear here, so unlike what it was on Nemesis. _

_I don't know what I'm doing anymore… Trying to stop his obsession, yet befriending the object of his desire at the same time? There's no way for this to work. And yet I can't help but like her, and want to protect her. She may seem childish at times but she will make a wonderful ruler one day. And maybe the future people of Nemesis will be allowed to peacefully belong on Earth. In some distant time, after the defeat of Wiseman, maybe they already are. _

As Saphir was walking, he saw a familiar girl sitting in the middle of the sidewalk, crying.

"Usagi? Is there something wrong?" _I guess there's no avoiding getting involved… I can't just leave her here like this. _"You shouldn't be alone. Let me walk with you. I'm here if you need someone to talk to…"

"Oh, Saphir, I didn't expect to see you here. I guess I should get going, everyone is waiting for me at the shrine," she said as she wiped away the tears. _I don't want to burden him with my problems… _"How are you doing? Is Dimande recovered?"

"He's fine," Saphir laughed, looking up into the sky. _Always thinking of others, never herself. _"Really, he's still feeling a bit weak but his ego is hurt more than anything. Our powers are significantly diminished without the black crystal… In fact I'm surprised we have any powers at all." They began to walk. "I'm serious about if you need someone to talk to. We're friends now, aren't we?"

"You're right, we are. Thanks Saphir," Usagi started. "It's actually about Mamoru—that's Endymion. He's very sick right now, and I don't know what to do. He sent me away saying that he felt better, but I know that he was just saying that not to worry me: I can still feel his pain in my heart."

Saphir was shocked. _They really are connected by fate—she can even feel when he is in pain. Still, I shouldn't tell Dimande about this—if he knew that Endymion was sick like that… _"It has something to do with the planet, right? I know that he is linked with it since he is the Earth's prince. Do you think that it's because of this new enemy? It seems to me that the enemy is from the past: the Minoan civilization, I believe. Maybe the rising of an ancient power has disrupted the Earth's balance…"

"Wow, Saphir! You're as smart as Ami!"

"Oh, it's nothing. I used to design the droids, you know. I'm very familiar with robotic technology… and I've always been interested in ancient civilizations…"

"You should come in to the shrine with me, Saphir. I'm sure that we could all benefit from your knowledge!" _Without Mamo-chan's insight, we could use some extra help._

"I'd better not come in with you. Your friends warned us to stay away, and I intend to keep to that agreement. I just didn't want to leave you alone and vulnerable like that. Dimande would never forgive me if something happened to you. And frankly, I would never forgive myself either."

"I'm sorry about my friends… they're just very protective of me. I hope that we can work together, though. I'll have to talk to them about it. Thank you for walking with me. I feel better now, more filled with hope that there is something I can do. You know, Saphir, you should stop punishing yourself. If Petz really loves you, which I believe she does, your return won't be an interruption."

_I know… but I don't deserve her. Not yet, anyway. As I am now, she is better off without me. _


	7. Chapter 7: Redefined

**Chapter Seven: Redefined**

"Oh, Usagi, you're finally here! Are you doing alright?" Rei asked. _All we can do is support her as our friend and try to figure out what's causing this._

"I'm fine… I just want to do all that I can to make Mamo-chan get better! I was just talking to—" Usagi stopped herself. _They wouldn't be happy if they knew that Saphir walked me here. _Everyone waited in silence for Usagi to finish. "I mean, I was just thinking that Mamo-chan getting sick is probably related to the new enemy. A power from the past like that could disrupt the present balance…"

"Wow, very impressive for you," Rei quipped, suspicious of Usagi but not wanting to press the issue further. "That's exactly what we were just discussing."

"I've determined that there is a correlation between the timing of this and the resurrection of Dimande and Saphir," Ami explained. "But I don't believe that it was caused by them. It seems that the timing of this relates to your use of the Silver Crystal in the fight against Galaxia. It was powerful enough to bring all of us back, and to light up the galaxy…"

"But there's no way that Usagi would use her powers to resurrect some evil from the past," Makoto interjected. _Though with Dimande and Saphir reappearing, maybe I'm wrong… we still can't be sure of their intentions._

"I don't think that she had to resurrect anything. Whoever is causing this obviously isn't completely human. Maybe the volcanic eruption only caused it to be put in a deep sleep, and the bright light was enough to wake it," Ami continued. "It's clearly after the Crystal, so it must know of the restoring powers. We need to focus on finding out who it is that's controlling the robot, and what we can do to stop them."

"That would explain why even with powers from the past rising I haven't felt any significant rifts in the time dimension," Setsuna added. "But if that's true, then why is the Earth unbalanced?"

"Because while this being has technically been alive all this time, it hasn't been active. The world had adapted and the distribution of power shifted since when they had an active role… basically the planet got used to them not being around," Ami theorized. "The most well known mythological power from the Minoan civilization is King Minos—that's where the name of the civilization is derived from. That might be who we're up against." _ Even with all my analysis, it doesn't matter. I don't know how we're going to be able to stop this… it took all of our power just to injure the robot. We don't have enough power to face a legendary king…_

_I can't stop thinking about Mamo-chan… How can I do this without him? I'm surrounded by all my closest friends and yet I feel so alone. Then again, in my loneliest moment, when I had almost given up, I gained a new, unexpected friend in Saphir. Maybe I'm not as alone as I think I am… If only my friends were willing to work with Dimande and Saphir…_

….

"Saphir, where have you been? You said that you were just going for a walk but you were gone for hours…" Dimande asked his brother, instantly concerned that something had happened.

"Oh, I guess that I just lost track of time. Sorry for worrying you, brother," Saphir replied. _I'm not really sure what to do… I don't like lying to my brother but I can't tell him what just happened. We had both agreed that I wouldn't get involved anymore, and besides, if he knew about Endymion being sick… _"How are you feeling?"

"I feel almost completely recovered now. Thank you for taking care of me, especially when you were also hurt. It should be me taking care of you…" _From now on, that's exactly what I will do. I should never have let my love for Usagi make me blind to everything else going on around me. We've had a second chance at life thanks to her. _"Did you come across anything interesting on your walk?"

"As a matter of fact, I did," Saphir responded. _There is one thing I found that I want to tell him about. _"I saw a beautiful building not too far from here. When I went in I learned that it was a library—they keep thousands of books on anything that you can imagine, and people are free to read anything that they want, and even take the books home for short periods of time. Actually, I was hoping that you'd come with me there. There are some ancient civilizations that I'm interested in reading more about, and I think that you might like it there too. Why don't we go together now?" _There's something that I want to check about the Ancient Minoans…_

_Saphir always has been interested in ancient civilizations… On Nemesis there wasn't much to do but read. Our ancestors who had come from Earth had brought books with them to make sure that we would never forget our origins. I was never interested in learning about past cultures, but Saphir used those books to escape into his own fantasies, dreaming about the beautiful Earth. _"Yes, of course I'll go with you, Saphir." _It will be just like when we were children._

When they reached the library, Saphir immediately darted to the ancient history section, scanning the rows for any books about Ancient Greece and Crete. Dimande, feeling out of place, stood silently and watched as his brother's eyes lit up in excitement. _It's been a long time since I've seen my brother this motivated and inspired. I wonder what sparked his interest all of a sudden…_

Finally, Saphir found what he was looking for. _"Minoan Resurrection Ritual"… It seems that they believed that, using the powers of the gods and a sacrifice, they could bring back to life certain beings. According to their myths, the Goddess of the Moon, Selene, would sacrifice herself to revive any lost souls from their civilization by fusing her life force with the source of their destruction… But the life forces of those associated with other gods could be used as sacrifices to resurrect individual mythological beings also. _

Saphir's eyes widened in fear when he realized what the goal of Sailor Moon's newest enemy was. _So not only is Sailor Moon in danger, but so are all the other Sailor Senshi due to inheriting the blessings of their planetary deities. King Minos must be planning to use them to restore his entire civilization! _

"Saphir, what's wrong? You were looking so happy… and now you've gotten pale and look agitated!" Dimande asked, confused by Saphir's sudden change in mood.

"I… need to go warn them!" Saphir called as he ran out of the library without looking back. Dimande only stared in shock and picked up the book that Saphir had dropped and read the page it was left on. After making the connection between the words on the page and Sailor Moon and her companions, Dimande also disappeared, not caring whether anyone around him saw him vanish or not, thinking only of her.


	8. Chapter 8: Repeated

**Chapter Eight: Repeated**

Dimande and Saphir both arrived at Hikawa Shrine at the same time. Bursting through the sliding doors of the room that they had both previously seen Usagi go into to join the other Sailor Senshi, they found nothing but empty teacups and a pot of cold tea.

_What should we do? Neither of us knows where Usagi lives… this is the only place where we have taken her… _"Should we search for Mars, brother? This is her home after all," Saphir suggested, almost entirely out of breath.

"She's not very fond of us… but I suppose that it's all we can try to do," Dimande agreed. The two searched the entire property and found no one but an old man keen on inviting both brothers to work at the shrine and train with him.

_There's only one other person who I know that would be able to tell me where we can find Usagi: Petz… _"Brother, I know what we can do. I don't want to, but we have no choice. We need to go to the Ayakashi sisters' house. They're the only other people that we know who can tell us how to contact Usagi and the others. But please, brother, do this for me: I can't see Petz. I will show you the way but you have to talk to them. Don't tell them that I'm alive, she mustn't know."

Dimande, though confused by the request of his brother, agreed to talk to the sisters alone. _Why doesn't he want to see her? I know that he loves her. He should be doing all that he can to be with the one he loves, just as I am. But right now there is no time to talk with and give advice to Saphir. I'll keep my promise. I owe him that much._

Saphir led Dimande to the house that contained his final memories leading up to his death. _Just being here again brings back so many painful memories: How had I tried to warn my brother who had been completely corrupted by the black crystal and Wiseman… The promise I made to Petz but was unable to keep… _"This is the place. Thank you for doing this, brother." Saphir stood by the side wall so that he would be able to catch a glimpse of Petz one last time without being seen.

"Prince Dimande?" Koan answered the door and stood in shock, unsure of Dimande's motivations. _I thought he was dead… has he come to punish us? But there is a kindness in his eyes that I have never seen before…_ "Please, come in," she managed.

Before he was able to walk in, Petz came bursting through the door. "Prince Dimande, please, if you have come to punish us as traitors then leave my sisters alone. I will take on the punishment, whatever it may be."

Hearing this, Saphir remembered the similar words she had said to him years before. _She's still the same… eternally loyal to and protective of her sisters, willing to give up anything for them. Petz, I love you. _

_There's darkness in her eyes that I don't remember from before. It's as if she's hollow inside… Did Saphir's death have this effect on you? _"Don't worry," Dimande smiled. "I have been reborn and reformed, you need not fear me. I came only because you are the only people I know who can tell me where Usagi is… she and her friends are in danger and I need to warn them."

"How did you find us? How can I trust you knowing what you did to her in the past?" Petz queried.

Dimande glanced back to where he knew Saphir was hiding. _How can I respond to this?_ "Just please believe me. The Silver Crystal revived us—I mean, revived me. And so I would never do anything to hurt her—I really do want to help her."

"Revived 'us'?" Petz gasped when she realized what Dimande's words implied. _Of course! The only person who could have told Prince Dimande where we live is—_"Saphir!"

Dimande tried to stop Petz but she pushed him out of the way and ran out the door following where Dimande's eyes had led. Sure enough, Saphir was still there beside the house, too overcome by his desire to see her again to leave the spot.

"You're alive!" Petz cried as she fell into his strong, warm arms.

….

_Dimande has gone to warn Usagi and the others about what I found out. I should have gone with him, but I can't bring myself to leave Petz._

"Tell me everything that happened," Petz requested as she poured tea for Saphir and herself, spilling some on the table because of her shaky hands. "Just reviving like that, where have you been staying? If you need somewhere to stay, please know you're welcome here."

"We do have a house that we are living in… It's strange, as if everything was prepared for us," Saphir began. He reached out for Petz's shaky hand before continuing. "When we awoke, we were in the centre of the city, where the black crystal had been growing. It was night, and so very dark. All we could see was one bright light in the distance. Not knowing what else to do, we followed where the light led, and we found ourselves at an empty house with two people standing outside on the porch."

_I remember it clearly—how could I forget? I arrived first. _

"_The house is yours," the girl told me. She looked so familiar… almost like Black Lady, but kinder and maybe a little younger. She was holding hands with a boy who was clearly a few years older than her and had a golden horn on his head. I envied how happy they were together._

"_We were told to prepare this house for you and Prince Dimande. There's enough food to last you both until you are comfortable in this time," the boy said as he put his arm around the girl, who I could see was starting to get nervous._

"So they prepared the house for you both? How did they know that this was going to happen?"

"I think I have some idea as to how… what I don't know is why they did it," Saphir replied, never looking away from Petz's eyes.

_They both disappeared before I could ask them anything. By the time Dimande had reached the house, they were completely gone. All I heard was a whisper in the air: "She must choose for herself which future path to take." _

_At the time I didn't understand what that mean… but now it is starting to become more clear. _


	9. Chapter 9: Restrained

**Chapter Nine: Restrained**

"So you're saying that we're all in danger because of some myth you found in a library book?" Rei mocked. _Who does Dimande think he is just suddenly appearing in Usagi's house like this?_

"Well, actually it was Saphir who found the book. But yes. Please, for your own sakes you must believe me," Dimande pleaded. _Why don't they trust me about this? What could I possibly have to gain from lying about this? They already know that Usagi is in danger… why is this any less believable than everything else they've discovered?_

"How did you find Usagi's house anyway? This all sounds very suspicious," Makoto said as she rolled up her sleeves and demonstrated that she would beat Dimande down immediately if need be.

"I promise you that I am not doing this for my own gain," Dimande responded. _Unless you count protecting Usagi as personal benefit… if you are all gone then there is nothing stopping the enemy from taking the Silver Crystal and killing my only love._ "We found you by asking the Ayakashi sisters. Saphir remembered where they lived thankfully, otherwise we would have had no way of finding you," Dimande said cautiously.

Only Usagi realized what visiting the Ayakashi sisters would have meant for Saphir. "So Saphir finally went to see Petz?" she asked excitedly.

"Yes. It was very hard for him, actually. He made me go alone and promise not to tell Petz that he was alive. But she saw through my lies and ran out to see Saphir. He had wanted to come here to tell you about what he had found himself, but couldn't bring himself to leave Petz. And I insisted that he stay with her… he deserves to be happy."

_Yes, he does. I still remember how he told me that he didn't deserve to be with her. But he has done so much for others, always sacrificing his own happiness. He deserves to be with Petz, to be happy himself for once._

_Thinking about it now, my friends always sacrifice their happiness to protect me. Why? Because I'm the Princess? I don't see why that should matter so much that others would die protecting me. And have died…_

"I can't do this anymore," Usagi said as she stared down at the floor. "I can't put everyone I care about in danger again knowing that I can stop it. I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to all of you. If I just give up the Silver Crystal… they won't need to resurrect those other monsters using your Sailor Crystals. I may die, but all of you will live. That's enough for me."

"Usagi, you're wrong. We protect you because our dreams live in you," Rei explained, frowning at Usagi's troubled expression.

"That's right. What happens to us doesn't matter: as long as you're still here, all of our hopes and dreams will live on. We were born to protect you," Minako added as she put her hand on Usagi's shoulder.

Dimande was astounded by the absolute faith everyone had in Usagi. _They're willing to give up themselves to protect her. Just as I am. But to believe that their dreams will be fulfilled as long as she lives… is the same true for me? What dreams do I even have anymore? I have been brought back to life in this time with nothing: no longer a prince of anything worth mentioning, and devoid of most of my powers. All I have is my love for my brother and for her._

"But how can I live without you?" Usagi cried. "Please don't call yourselves expendable. Besides, all that King Minos wants to do is revive his people who were killed unfairly. Surely my life isn't more valuable than the lives of thousands of innocent people!"

Dimande smiled. _She is so caring for the lives of others. At last, though, I have some knowledge to contribute._ "You're wrong again, Usagi. In order for the Silver Crystal to revive that many people in such a way, all of its power would need to be expended. When the light of a planet's Sailor Crystal goes out, the planet's shine also goes out. Without the shine of the moon, the Earth's harmony would be destroyed and the world would gradually descend into chaos, all life eventually dying."

"Besides… if this was the right action to be taken, if this was meant to happen, then it would not be thrusting the Earth out of balance and making Mamoru sick," Ami added.

The mention of Mamoru shocked Usagi back to her senses. "I guess you're right," she said as she wiped away the last of her tears. "But I still don't want anything to happen to any of you!"

"Nothing is going to happen to any of us," Makoto promised. "Just because some legend in a book says so doesn't make it true. That's why we're here coming up with a plan. Everything will be fine." _I say this, but I'm not sure I really believe myself. But Dimande still can't be trusted. We have to deal with this on our own, and keep acting according to our plans despite what Dimande said._

"Okay, so continuing with our plan to draw out and defeat the robot…" Ami started, while Usagi got up and left her own room. After she stepped out, Dimande followed.

"What's wrong, Usagi? You're not your usual cheerful self," Dimande spoke softly.

Usagi turned to him with her eyes welling up with tears. "I'm scared, Dimande. Everyone is coming up with a strategy to beat the robot and find King Minos… but I have the feeling that something bad is going to happen. Mamo-chan is already sick… I can't go on if I lose anyone."

Dimande reached out and held Usagi's hand firmly. "I'll be with you. Everyone will be. There's a reason that everyone goes to such great lengths to protect you; so please, let us. Believe in your friends as they believe in you." _She looks so beautiful, yet so vulnerable. I almost want to kiss her right here. No, I shouldn't. Instead, I kiss her hand and disappear. I didn't know that Mamoru was sick, that the balance of the planet was disturbed. This could change everything._

_He looks at me with such love, I almost forget completely about the crazed look that was in his eyes those years before. He kisses my hand and the warmth reminds me of how I feel when I am with Mamo-chan. And then he is gone, and I am alone in my hallway, cold and crying again._


	10. Chapter 10: Requested

**Chapter Ten: Requested**

_I just went into the hallway to get Usagi and tell her that we've figured out the robot's weakness. I thought Dimande had left already. But as I am about to call out Usagi's name I notice how close to her he is standing—as if they were about to kiss. I say nothing and watch him kiss her hand and then vanish. It's all too familiar—she's just as she was with Seiya. I wish she would remember what Dimande was like before: cold and manipulative, willing to gain her love no matter what the cost, even by force. Even though he seems much kinder now, even though they seem to get along as well as lovers, I cannot forgive what he did in the past so easily. _

"Usagi!" Minako called. "What are you doing out here all alone?" _I've decided not to mention what I saw. She's been through so much; it's not my place to chastise her. Goodness knows I've chased after some bad boys myself… _"Ami has figured out the robot's weakness! Now we just need to draw it out somehow… come back and join us, won't you? I think Makoto's about to dish out some of that cake she baked!"

Usagi stayed with her back turned to Minako as she wiped her face to clear away the tears once more.

"I was just thinking…" _about Dimande… _"about Mamo-chan." _And about how confused I am… _Usagi's expression suddenly changed to cheerful as she forced herself to smile. "How can I say no to Mako's homemade cake? I'll come back in now."

Minako stopped Usagi before she was about to walk back into the room and looked her in the eyes. "Are you sure that you're alright?" _She seems so lost._

"Don't worry, Minako. I'm fine," Usagi managed as she entered the room. "So, what's the plan?"

"Well, I realized after analyzing our last battle with the robot that its weakness is actually quite simple," Ami explained. "Just like any robot, it is made of metal and electronics, with the exception of its horns. The horns appear to be some kind of magical device meant to absorb and store energy that it uses to power itself. If we can break the horns off and then cause it to short circuit, we can very easily defeat the robot."

"But if we just defeat the robot, we won't find our enemy's base. We've never seen or had any contact with them aside from that robot," Rei pointed out. She thought for a moment, considering a strategy. "Last time, when we damaged the robot it retreated immediately. What if we don't quite destroy it? Then we can all try to grab hold of it as it tries to retreat and teleport along with it, hopefully to its base."

"Sounds perfect. Let's go for it tomorrow!" Makoto exclaimed. "But how will we lure the robot out?"

….

_Saphir is still with Petz. I envy how easily he was able to reunite with his love. _

_For some reason, after learning that he is sick, I have decided that I should visit Endymion—Mamoru, that is. I'm not sure why… but I feel compelled to do so. Petz taught both Saphir and I how to find addresses in a phone book, and how to find the street names on a map. I find Mamoru's address with little difficulty and decide to walk rather than teleport- I could use some time to think along the way._

_I can tell that Usagi really loves him: her eyes widened and her lips quivered at the mention of his illness. And yet she did not pull away when I held her hands, did not flinch when I kissed them. What am I thinking? The future has already been decided. After seeing the Black Moon Clan fail I had resigned to the fact that it could not be changed. And yet now I feel that something is different, that the future is now free to change once more._

_Now I find myself outside Mamoru's door. I knock and hear a weak call from inside that I assume is inviting me in._

"I realize that I am likely the last person that you wish to see right now…" Dimande began as he entered Mamoru's room. "But I just felt as though I had to visit you. I don't expect you to forgive me or to trust me but I want you to know that I am sorry for all that I have done. It sickens me to think of all the terrible things I did then without a second thought."

"Actually," Mamoru breathed weakly. "You are exactly the person that I wanted to see." _Usako trusts him, so I must also. Who else can I count on? _"I want you to promise me that you will protect her no matter what."

"I would have done that without your asking," Dimande replied bluntly.

_Just as I thought, he still loves her. But to do what I am asking, he would need to. _"I won't be able to protect her… this illness is getting much worse- which must mean that the enemy is getting stronger. I have a feeling that it will be too much for the Senshi to deal with."

"I don't have much power anymore, but I will protect her with my life. I am not sure how much I will be able to help, but I will be there until the very end," Dimande vowed. _If the Senshi are defeated, then certainly nothing I will be able to do will beat this ancient power… I know that I could do more with Saphir's help, with his brilliant ideas, but I promised to keep him uninvolved. He has already done more than enough._

_Usako doesn't know how badly I am doing right now. The blackness in my lungs gets larger and larger and I find it more and more difficult to breathe. I want to protect her, to help her fight… but I no longer even have the strength to sit up. And so I have entrusted this to Dimande. Though, as he says, he has little powers and likely wouldn't be able to do much to protect her, I feel that I should believe in him like Usako does… His love and support is ultimately no less than what I normally provide in aiding her during battles. Something tells me that asking for his help is the right thing to do, whether he is strong enough to fight the enemy or not. The Senshi will not always be with her._

"Thank you, Dimande. I'm not sure that I'm ready to forgive you for the past yet, but Usagi trusts you and believes in you, so I feel that I should too," Mamoru spoke hoarsely. "What she needs is not simply strong warriors protecting and fighting for her, but love and support. When she has that, I truly believe that she can do anything."

Dimande nodded and stood in silence looking down at Mamoru lying in bed. "I will do what ever I can to keep her safe," he said finally. Mamoru, clearly in a very weak state, closed his eyes and smiled, satisfied with Dimande's response and too exhausted to speak any more. Dimande took this as his cue to leave, walking out through the door as he came.

_If all she needs is love and support, then why does she need me? She already has so many friends who put all their faith in her. _Dimande shook his head. _But a time may come when they will not be there, when she will not be able to feel their support. He somehow knew this… he wants to be sure that she is never alone. I will watch her from the shadows for now, but I will never leave her side. She can always count on me._


	11. Chapter 11: Reconsidered

**Chapter Eleven: Reconsidered**

_I'm standing alone, untransformed but with my brooch open and in plain sight so that the portion of the Silver Crystal sealed within it shines brightly. It's still dark out—we decided it would be best to do this early so no one would be around—and so the light from my Crystal is all I can see. Everyone else is transformed and watching, hiding behind the trees and bushes that surround the park I'm in. I'm scared…_

_We've been waiting in the bushes a long time. It's almost nostalgic—a few years ago we lured the enemy out similarly, having Usagi pretend to be willing to join the Dark Kingdom. Just like I was then, I am in charge of making the call as to when we are to come out from our hiding places. But unlike last time, I don't have the Silver Crystal. For our plan to lure out the robot to work, Usagi must keep the Silver Crystal entirely with her. This worries me—what if I make the call too late?_

Just when Rei was about to signal the other girls to give up, the robot suddenly materialized directly in front of Usagi. While it was completely distracted by the light emanating from Usagi's brooch and began to reach towards it, Rei signaled to everyone to initiate the plan.

"Venus Love-Me Chain!" Minako cried as she lassoed her chain around the robot's horns. Usagi used the opportunity to transform, and immediately clutched and held out the Eternal Tiare.

"Silver Moon Crystal Power Kiss!" Usagi directed her most powerful healing maneuver at the robot's horns, thus releasing most of the human energy they had stored and returning it to the people who had previously been drained of their strength. Once the energy had been removed, the robot's horns became brittle, and one strong pull of her chain allowed Venus to break them off. Without its power source, the robot had become much weaker and slower. Though it still attempted to attack, the Senshi were much faster and able to dodge any advances.

Ami and Rei then combined attacks, sending bursts of water and large flames towards the robot with the intent of simultaneously short circuiting and overheating it. Though the attacks did cause serious damage, the robot retaliated by using much of its remaining power to send a large blast of energy outwards. All of the Senshi were knocked far out of reach of the robot.

_The robot is about to retreat. There's no way that everyone can make it in time to travel with it. This is our only chance to get ahead of the enemy. I know what I have to do—I'm the only one who is fast enough to get there in time. As I am clinging to the robot and beginning to disappear, I look around and see the concern on everyone's faces. _"We'll meet again soon," Makoto smiled and yelled to the others just before disappearing.

"Mako-chan!" Usagi called out too late. She dropped down to the ground and burst into tears. _My fears are already starting to come true._ "Mako-chan, you promised nothing would happen!" Usagi managed to cry out through the tears while the others gathered around her and looked at each other in awed silence.

….

_It has already begun. Just as Saphir had feared, just as Mamoru had sensed, the Senshi are one by one leaving her side. I wanted to help, but I knew that I was no match for the robot- I barely managed to block its attacks last time. There was nothing I could do but wait here in the bushes and make sure that Usagi remained safe. Just as I vowed, I will watch over her and protect her._

_Why did Jupiter do that? _Dimande frowned while he got up and wiped the dirt from his clothes. Assuming that the girls had headed to either Usagi's house or Hikawa Shrine, Dimande decided to quickly go back to his own house, if only to let Saphir know where he was going to be. When he arrived, he found Saphir in the kitchen.

"What are you doing, Saphir?"

Saphir looked up at his brother and smiled. "Oh, you're back! Good morning, brother! I'm making something for breakfast for you and I. Here," Saphir said as he handed Dimande a plate. "It's called an omelet."

_Petz spent some time yesterday teaching me how to cook. We never had food like this on Nemesis. And Dimande and I never cooked anything for ourselves… other people served us with whatever bland food dared to grow on that planet. I'm proud of myself for being able to finally do something for myself, for us. One day the food stored in this house will be gone and we'll have to be totally independent—this is only the first step._

Dimande graciously took the plate from Saphir but did not eat the meal that Saphir had worked so hard to prepare.

"What's the matter, brother?" Saphir asked, noting his brother's troubled expression.

"Why would Jupiter do that?" Dimande thought out loud.

"What happened?" Saphir asked once more, as he took the seat next to Dimande and listened intently. After Dimande described what he had seen occur, Saphir stayed silent for a moment. "She didn't do that for nothing," he said finally. "They must have some way of communicating with each other—how else would they always manage to gather together? She must be planning to find out where the enemy is staying and then contact the others."

"You're right. Thank you, Saphir. I am sorry for bringing you into this again, but you are so much more insightful than me. I should go now—I promised Endymion that I would watch over her. I need to make sure that they have not already left for the enemy," Dimande said immediately before disappearing, leaving Saphir alone and his meal uneaten.

_He promised Endymion that he would protect her? He has gone that far? In the end nothing else matters but her. I should be more understanding; I want her to be safe, too. But she overshadows all my accomplishments, everything that I do for my brother. All that I'm good for is my insight, my understanding of technology and of history, to aid him in his quest to save her. I don't mind helping her, especially since protecting her means protecting this entire planet that I have come to love. But I do mind that Dimande thinks of nothing but her. He is still obsessed, and I hate it. _


	12. Chapter 12: Relieved

**Chapter Twelve: Relieved**

_Before I look around and get my bearings I let out one more jolt of lightning, finishing off the robot. I used most of my energy subduing it so that it wouldn't throw me off during our travel together… I'm exhausted now. I finally get up to look around but as I'm walking through the hallway I realize that I'm getting more and more lost: I'm inside a maze._

Before moving further through the maze, Makoto pulled out her communicator and tried to contact the others. "Everyone, can you hear me?" Makoto spoke as quietly as she could, not knowing whether the enemy was within earshot.

-_Mako-chan!_- a fuzzy voice said through the communicator. -_It's me, Usagi! Everyone else is listening too. Mako-chan, where are you? Are you alright?_-

"I'm fine, just a bit tired," Makoto replied. "I'm not exactly sure where I am- it seems to be some kind of labyrinth. There's ancient carvings all over the walls—images of different monsters, it looks like." One image in particular gave Makoto shivers every time she looked at it: a beast with at least a hundred eyes. _There's something eerily familiar about that monster… like something from the past life that I had wanted to forget…_ "I'm sorry I can't be more helpful than that. It's very hot here, and we seemed to travel a long way…"

-_Mako-chan?_- a different voice said. -I_t's Ami. From the sounds of it, you're in Greece. Judging by who we're dealing with, my guess is that you're somewhere in Crete. I'm going to use my computer to make some calculations and…_- the sound started to break up -_stay where you are, Mako-chan… we'll…soon and_- - the sound cut out entirely.

_I can't just sit here and wait for them. I'll keep pressing forward; maybe I can find the exit. _After wandering for what seemed like hours, Makoto collapsed, exhausted.

"So you are the one who has inherited the blessings of Zeus," she heard a beaming voice say as she drifted into unconsciousness.

….

Dimande appeared at the steps of the Hikawa Shrine only to encounter the Outer Senshi, who apparently were expecting him.

"You should stay away from our Princess," Haruka said bluntly as she pulled her Space Sword out of its sheath to demonstrate her seriousness.

"Please, I only want the same thing that you do- to protect her. I just came here so that I would know where she is going to face the enemy, so I can go there too if necessary," Dimande spoke hurriedly, trying to peak over the four Senshi and catch a glimpse of Usagi and the others inside the shrine. Suddenly Dimande felt a cool blade touching his neck.

"If your love is true and your intentions good, you will know when she is in danger and where to find her," Hotaru said, holding the Silence Glaive steadily at Dimande's throat. After a moment of her clear eyes staring directly into Dimande's, she withdrew her weapon and the Outer Senshi went to join the others, without looking back.

Dimande mulled over the words of the young girl for a long time. _What did she mean by that? How could she know? _But the more Dimande thought about it, the more the words rung true. _When I first saved her from the robot, I had no idea where she was. I only sensed the danger she was in, and without thinking I found myself no longer in my bedroom but on that street holding her in my arms. At the time I thought it was only good timing: I had felt an evil presence on that street earlier… but perhaps that child spoke the truth after all. Or is it all a coincidence?_

Respecting the wishes of the Outer Senshi, Prince Dimande left the shrine without seeing or speaking to Usagi, but confident that he could still protect her. _There's no such thing as a coincidence. _

….

"I've narrowed down the area that Mako-chan could be in significantly- there's a 70 percent probability that she is within this radius," Ami said as she circled an area on the map of Greece the girls were standing over. "But there is no way for me to determine a more precise locatin… as it is I'm not completely sure." _How could we have let this happen? Mako-chan did that so we would learn where the enemy's baes is… it is surely to be well hidden. If we don't know the exact location, we'll find it too late, if at all… She risked her life for us to get no further and put her in grave danger… I wish I could do more!_

"That will be precise enough," Hotaru said in a determined tone. The other girls all looked at her in shock- even Haruka and Michiru were surprised.

Haruka cocked an eyebrow at Michiru. "She must get her insight from you," she said.

Michiru took Hotaru's words less lightly. _First what she said to Dimande, now this? Does she know something that we don't?_ "Hotaru, where did you learn all this?"

Before Hotaru was able to answer, Rei spoke up, bothered by what Hotaru had said. "If we teleport there with such a vague idea, we'll be looking for Mako-chan forever! That is _not_ precise enough! That's Mako-chan's safety you're risking!"

Hotaru raised her hands as if to calm the others, and closed her eyes. "Please, you misunderstand me: I only meant that we will be able to travel to her exact location with having that much of an idea of the area. If all our hearts are together as one, then they are together with Makoto as well. By putting our thoughts with her, we can reach her with only the vaguest idea of her location. I cannot say how I know this; I don't know any more about what will happen than you do… It's just something I know is true. It may be from some kind of vision or dream, but I am absolutely confident in it."

Setsuna at first appeared concerned, but soon smiled, recognizing the unique gifts of the Soldier of Silence. _She has her realm of understanding as I have mine. I can sense disturbances in the flow of time… but telling the others this would only cause unnecessary worry. We will resolve this as we have every disturbance before._ "Now, if we all join hands and put our thoughts with Sailor Jupiter, we can teleport to her."

Usagi, Minako, Ami and Rei all transformed quickly, and all eight Senshi stood in a circle holding hands.

"Let's find our friend," Usagi said, now determined rather than scared. _If this is my destiny, then I must face it: to protect my friends, and the world I love so much._

A bright light surrounded the Senshi, and in a flash they were gone.


	13. Chapter 13: Recalled

**Chapter Thirteen: Recalled**

_My brother has been quiet and pensive since he came home, as if he's trying to make sense of something. I didn't bother to ask what happened—I'm not sure I want to know. I'm still conflicted: I truly do care about Usagi, but… Dimande's obsession with her is unhealthy. Sick or not, she is fated to love Mamoru. Together they will become Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion, and will rule with gentle hearts and a steady hand. And yet… it is almost as if destiny has changed. Once again I hear voices in the wind: "She must choose for herself which future path to take." Could it be…?_

_I'm about to go outside and clear my head when I hear a knock at the door._

Saphir opened the door and felt arms wrap around him, suddenly bringing him into their embrace.

"Surprise!" Petz said, releasing Saphir from the hug and fixing her hair nervously. "Sorry to jump at you like that. I'm still not used to being able to be with you again, and I got a bit excited."

Saphir looked at her with warm, though distant, eyes. "Oh, Petz. It's so good to see you," he smiled.

_He looks at me with love, but I can tell that his thoughts are somewhere else. _"I brought a blanket and some sandwiches," she said, holding up a basket full of food. "I thought we could have a picnic, just the two of us."

"That sounds perfect," Saphir replied as he reached out to hold Petz's hand. _I've had enough of moping about and thinking to myself. I love Petz. Whatever concerns I may have, I can share them with her._

_I wonder what is bothering Saphir so much… I came here because he has already been alone for so long. I hope that he feels he can talk freely with me. Saphir, please trust in me. Whatever it is, we can work it out together._

…_._

"Mako-chan? Mako-chan, are you there?" Usagi and the others called as they wandered down the winding hallway they found themselves in.

"This appears to be the right place; we're in a labyrinth just like she described. She must be here somewhere," Ami said as she began analyzing the structure on her supercomputer.

….

_I awake to find who must be King Minos standing over me: he wears a long cloak that looks to be covered in cobwebs, and a tarnished gold crown on top of a mess of tangled grey hair. He is chanting… somehow, even though I know he is speaking a different language, I am able to understand the words. He, towering above me looking more like a phantom than a man, is summoning Argus- the hundred eyed beast enlisted by Hera to guard Zeus' lover._

_Suddenly, I'm in terrible pain… it's as if he is reaching into my heart and draining the shine of my Sailor Crystal. I can hear Usagi and the others calling to me… but as much as I try to cry out, I can't make a sound._

"This beast was born to guard Zeus' lover because of Hera's jealousy… you, blessed by the god of thunder, will now inherit its hatred towards Zeus. Argus will defeat you using your own power, then will take the Silver Crystal," the towering figure of King Minos laughed, his dark eyes shining wildly and his bones glowing and seemingly visible through his translucent skin. He then disappeared, walking through the walls of the maze- proving himself truly to be a phantom.

"Not if I can help it," Makoto managed to cry out. Usagi's calls getting closer, she yelled: "Don't come any closer!"

_I'm staring at the terrifying beast, Argus, which looks back at me with contempt in all of its hundred eyes. Even as I stand I can feel it draining my power, and the shine of my Star Seed. It is using my own life force against me._

_But I have to defeat it before Usagi gets here… no matter what, I have to protect her._

"Sailor Jupiter! Mako-chan!" Usagi exclaimed, her and the others finally having reached the same corridor of the maze that Makoto stood in.

Argus' eyes one by one turned to focus on Sailor Moon. Its body suddenly sprouted two massive arms, like the roots of an oak tree, which it held close together and began generating an electric charge between, intending to blast Sailor Moon.

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!" Makoto yelled, directing Argus' attention back to her by destroying several of the beast's eyes. "I will be your match."

"Mako-chan, no! We'll help you!" Rei screamed. _She looks so weak, she can't do this alone._

Makoto smiled. "No… its strength is born of my own powers. Only I can defeat it." _My body is starting to fade away as the rest of my Star Seed's shine is transferred to Argus… _

Makoto began to charge up electricity for her next attack, but the Argus' attention had already been drawn back to Sailor Moon and the others from the sound of Rei's cries. As its remaining eyes all turned to stare at the brooch containing the Silver Crystal and it prepared to snatch the Crystal and destroy all the Senshi in one move, Makoto threw herself at the monster.

"As long as I have one shred of power left I will use all my strength to defeat you and protect Usagi! Jupiter Oak Evolution!" With her final cry, bolts of lightning and razor sharp oak leaves shot at Argus, wrecking all its remaining eyes. After its eyes were destroyed, the beast collapsed and turned to dust. Makoto immediately fell to the ground, unconscious.

Usagi, Rei, Minako and Ami all ran to Makoto, while the Outer Senshi stayed back and kept watch. Ami reached for her arm and felt for a pulse.

"It's weak, but definitely there," Ami said. _Though it's not her pulse I'm worried about… it's her body that seems to alternate between being solid and invisible, similar to what happened when our Star Seeds were taken. Though her Star Seed was not taken, most of its shine was drained… _"I'll stay with her. The rest of you should continue on and find King Minos."

Haruka nodded and she, Michiru and Hotaru grabbed the shoulders of Usagi, Rei and Minako, escorting them away from where Ami knelt beside the unconscious Makoto.

"No… I can't leave her!" Usagi said through the steady stream of tears. _It's too similar to what happened before… Why does everyone I love have to get so hurt protecting me? _"I can't take it anymore!" _But I know that I have to… Please, don't leave me alone…_

….

Dimande, who had fallen asleep pondering Hotaru's words and questioning his own feelings and intentions, suddenly shot up, wide awake in the dark room. _What is this feeling?_

_She is hurting… I can feel her pain. So the words of that girl, Sailor Saturn, were true._

_Should I go to her?_

_No, not yet. It is her friends, her guardians, that still must care for her._

_I pray that I do not have to, but if the time comes that she is alone, without the Senshi protecting her, then I will go to her. At least now I know: I can find her and protect her no matter where she is._

_I love you, Sailor Moon._


	14. Chapter 14: Reprised

**Chapter Fourteen: Reprised**

_I want to go back. I keep looking behind me, worried about Mako-chan and Ami, but Haruka keeps pushing me forward. They didn't even let me say goodbye, and I have a bad feeling about this._

_Rei is meditating and Michiru is using her mirror, both trying to figure out the right path to travel. But it's hard to find when you're not sure of the final destination. We're walking very slowly and cautiously._

_I've stopped crying now. I close my eyes and imagine myself in Mamo-chan's warm embrace… but I find myself confusing his image with Dimande's, reassuring me that he and everyone will be with me and kissing my hand. I remember the pain in my chest, and Mamo-chan's image comes clearly back into my head. I need to do this, to protect the planet, so that he can be cured._

….

"I understand why you feel so conflicted," Petz said as she stared into Saphir's clear blue eyes. "Usagi is a wonderful person: she always seeks out the good in others, and would willingly sacrifice herself if it would save even one person— she saved me and my sisters."

"I know all that. I also know that protecting her means protecting the fate of the world. I want to protect her: I really do care for her, as a friend. The problem is my brother…" _How can I say this to Petz?_

"You're not sure whether he loves her and wants to protect her because of the kind of person she really is, or if he is still obsessed with his ideal image of Neo-Queen Serenity?" Petz spoke seriously, though concerned that perhaps she had spoken out of bounds, braced herself to need to apologize. She checked herself. _I'm with the one I love. We're no longer on Nemesis, I'm not a subordinate pining for the Prince's brother anymore. I should not fear him._

"Yes! Thank you for understanding. That is exactly what I'm confused about. I don't want to help my brother protect her just so he can try and win her love. What happens if he doesn't get the response he wants?" Saphir thought back to the crazed look in Dimande's eyes when he realized that Sailor Moon was Neo-Queen Serenity. _I don't want to see my brother like that ever again. I want no part of that kind of behaviour._

Petz reached across the table and put her hand over Saphir's. "I know that it's hard to do, but I think that, like Usagi, you should trust in your brother's heart. He's not possessed by the black crystal or manipulated by Wiseman anymore. He's your brother: the one who cared for you when you were younger, and promised you a happy life on Earth. You have to believe in him."

_My sisters and I were so cruel to each other, so consumed by greed and desire for power, when we wore the black crystal earrings. Once Sailor Moon purified us, it was like our eyes were opened—we became the loving family we had been as children again. It pains me to say this, because it means that I could risk losing Saphir again. But I have to be true to him._ "Go with Prince Dimande; protect her together. He needs you, and she may need you both." Petz kissed Saphir, being sure to keep her eyes closed so no tears would fall on his face.

….

_Mako-chan finally seems to have stabilized. She is still unconscious, but her body no longer seems to be fading away. She will need to rest for a long time, and certainly will not be able to transform for even longer, but I believe that she should make it. She is lucky to have defeated Argus before her Star Seed's shine was completely drained… _

_This is not a suitable place for her to rest, though; she is lying on a hard dusty floor. She has a high fever, and it is incredibly hot here. And who knows what other dangers lurk in this maze…_

The sound of footsteps behind her caused Ami to jump up immediately; arms outstretched in order to completely protect the resting Makoto.

"You have no fear of me harming her any further; her power has been expended nearly completely," the skeletal figure of King Minos laughed. He began to chant, and Ami, finding herself unable to move, braced herself for what may come.

_I shouldn't have hesitated… if I had attacked before he began to chant, this wouldn't have happened. Now it's too late. His magic has rendered me helpless, hardly able to flinch. My chest aches as the meditation drains my Crystal's power and calls forth the Caduceus…_

"Your deity, Hermes, is the one that allowed there to be peace between the two powerful serpents entwined in mortal combat that form Caduceus. It seems suitable that now the beasts will defeat the one who tamed them!" King Minos cackled. "I must go now to meet your other companions and retrieve the Silver Crystal. I trust that the Caduceus will be more than enough to beat you and come to my aid!" His voice echoed while he disappeared through the walls once more.

Ami, finally able to move once the chanting ceased, tried to think of a plan before her power was transferred completely to the two fighting snakes. Their gigantic mouths snapped, displaying fangs capable of spraying highly poisonous venom. Though they constantly tried to attack each other, they seemed to realize their common goal of beating Sailor Mercury, and slithered towards her, bodies moving in unison.

_What can I do to defeat these giant snakes? If I don't, they will go after Usagi. They are born out of my own power… only I can destroy them. But the pain is more than I can bear… I can hardly breathe, let alone think and fight. Wait… I am not a physical fighter like Makoto. Perhaps the clue is in what King Minos said himself. _Ami dodged the shots of venom aimed at her and tried to get behind the snakes to buy herself time to think. _Hermes brought peace to the fighting vipers… If I can only remember the legend… _The bickering amongst themselves momentarily distracted the snakes from their goal.

_A rod! Hermes drove a wand, or some kind of rod, between the entwined snakes to stop their fighting._

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" Ami cried out, forming as straight a blast of water as possible. Immediately, she called out, "Sabão Spray Freezing!", freezing the stream of water instantaneously as it blasted between the bodies of the snakes.

All her power exhausted, Ami panted and dropped to her knees, staying awake just long enough to see that the ice pole dividing the snakes caused their fighting to stop. Their glowing eyes staring at each other in shock, the separating of their bodies caused their power to dissipate, and finally they turned to dust.

Ami smiled, relieved that she was able use the last of her energy to protect Usagi.

_Stay safe, Usagi… Sorry I couldn't stay with you…_

….

Walking with the other Senshi through the dark corridor, Usagi suddenly stopped completely and whipped her head around.

The other Senshi glared at her, confused.

"Ami? I… I thought I heard Ami speak to me," she said shakily. _Not Ami, too… please, no. Please, Ami, Mako-chan, be safe…_

….

_This pain… her pain… It has happened again._

_I cannot wait much longer._


	15. Chapter 15: Recollected

**Chapter Fifteen: Recollected**

"Brother?" Saphir called as he knocked on Dimande's bedroom door. Cautiously opening the door, he continued. "I was hoping that we could talk… about Usagi." _I'm still conflicted, but I'm taking Petz's advice and trusting that my brother cares about her and wants to protect her for the right reasons. Besides, if I go with him, I can more closely keep an eye on him and make sure his obsessions don't take control._

"Oh, Saphir, I'm glad you came. I can feel her… her pain, in my heart. She is in more and more distress by the minute… She is strong and continues to press forward, but I do not think I can bring myself to wait much longer. I need to go to her soon," Dimande said honestly to Saphir, eyes wide and bloodshot from worry and lack of sleep.

Saphir looked at his brother quizzically. _How does he know her feelings? It is as if he is linked to her, just as she is to Mamoru. But how can this be? Her red string of fate is connected to Mamoru. Is it possible that she has more than one fate? _Shaking the idea out of his mind, his harsh gaze softened as he recognized the genuine care and concern his brother demonstrated.

"That's all I needed to hear. I'm coming with you," Saphir stated. _It's not just his old obsession resurfaced. This is real love._

Dimande looked at his brother with shock. He shook his head. "No… no, I promised that I would not allow you to be involved anymore. I could not live with myself if I lost you again, Saphir," he said, pausing to see Saphir flashing him a determined smile. "Petz—"

"—told me to go. I know what you promised, and I appreciate your concern for me," Saphir explained. _Petz was right, he is the brother who I grew up with and who took care of me once more._ "But did you forget what you told me when we first returned and you sensed danger? You begged for my help, saying that you could not protect her without me. Thank you for wanting to keep me out of this. But just as you want to go so to make sure she is never alone, please let me ensure that you are not alone. We have both been lonely in the cold darkness for far too long."

Dimande breathed a sigh of relief. _I do not want to put Saphir in danger, but it is true that I cannot protect Usagi alone. Saphir is the intelligent, empathetic and insightful one. I will need him there beside me if I am to be of any help at all to her. _"Thank you for doing this for me, and for her, Saphir. We should leave soon. I have something of my own to attend to, but now you should go and say goodbye to Petz."

"I love you, brother," Saphir said as he turned to leave the room.

"Wait—before you go, I want to ask you something: Why do you think that we were reborn?"

Saphir merely turned and smiled warmly at his brother, letting the question linger in the air between them in silence. Though neither Saphir nor Dimande spoke, both felt they already knew the answer.

….

"I think that we're on the right track," Rei said, pausing from her meditations to give Usagi a smile of assurance. "We should reach the exit soon."

"And then we can face King Minos on our own terms," Haruka said, running a hand over the sheath of her sword.

Usagi nodded, but even the confident words of her companions left her feeling unsure. _We still don't know what's at the end of this maze. We went all this way, and have gone through so much, for what? So that we could find our enemy's base only to immediately try to escape from it? I have a feeling that the end of this maze does not lead us out of here…_

"And what then?" Usagi finally said aloud to her friends. Seeing their confused expressions, she tried to clarify. "What will we do when we get to the exit? How will we 'face' King Minos?" Her tone became more desperate. "Please, tell me what we can do- what I can do! All I'm doing is sitting back and watching while my friends get hurt and while you all push me to keep running away from the person we're supposed to be facing!" Tears streamed down her face, but her eyes remained steady and determined.

Michiru smiled and put a hand on Usagi's shoulder. "I don't know what lies ahead: I cannot foresee in my mirror what is to come for us. But I do know that we must get you to the exit. You're not running away: you're heading towards the next stage, the final stage."

"That's right, Usagi!" Minako said. "This maze isn't the right setting for you to fight King Minos." _He's obviously at the advantage here… I feel our powers are dampened from the enclosing of the dark, cramped corridors._ _To beat him she will need to be at full strength and within reach of the light of the moon. _"Besides, the sooner we get out of here, the sooner I can find myself a steady, handsome boyfriend and you can get back to Mamoru!" she winked. _I was trying to lighten the mood, to reassure Usagi that we're not going anywhere, but it's hard to sound convincing when I don't believe myself. Maybe it wasn't the right think to say… she gasped when I mentioned Mamoru and now she's lost in thought and clearly distressed again…_

Rei suddenly stopped in her tracks and went silent, ceasing her constant meditation. "Something is coming," she mouthed to the other girls, who all also fell silent.

"Ah, so you sensed my coming," a dark voice said. King Minos appeared from the wall behind the Senshi. "I would expect nothing less from you, blessed by Ares."

Noticing his reaching towards Usagi, whose back was turned facing him, both Rei and Minako leaped in front of her, their arms outstretched, blocking King Minos from approaching her.

"You won't get to our Princess that easily," Rei said in a mocking tone.

"I did not anticipate that I would," he laughed heartily.

"Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Saturn—we'll handle this from here. Take care of Sailor Moon, make sure she reaches the exit," Minako called, looking over her shoulder as she and Rei continued to forma barrier protecting Usagi from King Minos.

"No, we should all stay together! Nothing good comes of us separating!" Usagi yelled, both thankful and angry at the same time for their protection. The Outer Senshi did not waste any time in taking Minako's cue for them all to leave. Once again Haruka grabbed Usagi by the shoulders and started pushing her forward, away from where Minako and Rei shot bursts of energy and blasts of fire at the ghostly figure.

"Don't be silly. Let us fight for now; you need to save your energy for the bigger battle ahead," Rei said loudly but sweetly over all the commotion. Immediately she was struck by the feeling that the words she just spoke were words she had said once before. _We will hold off King Minos for as long as we are able. The Outer Senshi have much stronger powers- she may need that in the battle to come. I get the sense that King Minos is not fighting us now in his full form, with full strength—he is building up his power, maybe gradually awakening further. Right now he is just buying time before he faces her at the end of this labyrinth… and we need to slow down that process and make sure that she is safe from him for that long._

_But I don't want to fight… _

Minako did not look back again to watch Usagi unwillingly walk away with the others. _I hope that we did the right thing. Forgive me, Usagi. I wish that I, that we all, could stay by your side, but this is for the best…_

Both Senshi, lost in thoughts and distracted from their fight against King Minos, did not notice that he had begun to chant. Minako was immediately paralyzed, completely unable to move, while Rei frantically continued to shoot flaming arrows that seemed to go right through King Minos without him even taking notice.

"Soon," he spoke in a clear, cold voice. "I will get revenge on you, Aphrodite reincarnated, for making my wife fall in love with the White Bull by calling upon the very beast formed from that union, the Minotaur…"


	16. Chapter 16: Reserved

**Chapter Sixteen: Reserved**

_I have decided that it is time for me to go to her. I am confident that, as Saturn said, if I desire to help her out of love and not out of obsession, I will be able to find where she is. But there is one thing that I know I must do before I meet her._

Prince Dimande waited anxiously on the elevator of Mamoru's apartment building, cursing its slowness. _If I were able to simply teleport to his apartment, I would not have wasted so much time walking here and wishing that this elevator were faster. But I need to save all my energy—I must transport both myself and Saphir, who was resurrected with far weaker powers than I and is no longer able to teleport, to where Usagi is. And who knows what need there may be for my powers when we arrive? No, I had to walk here. I only hope that I am not taking too long, that she is still safe._

Finally reaching Mamoru's door, Dimande hurriedly knocked and listened for a response. Hearing none, he spoke through the door, "Endymion, no- Mamoru, it is me, Prince Dimande. I wish to speak with you before I leave to help Usagi…" He stopped speaking when he noticed the doorknob turning slightly and heard the lock move. Quickly, he grasped the handle and threw the door open to find three cats staring at him skeptically.

He smiled as he crouched to speak to the cats, "Ah, the familiars of Sailor Moon and Venus. Thank you for letting me in, and for caring for Mamoru so well." Though all three cats pulled away from Dimande's touch, unable to fully trust him, Luna bowed her head and led Dimande to Mamoru's bedroom, warning him to speak gently.

Dimande was shocked to find Mamoru in an even weaker state than when they had last spoke. He was collapsed on the bed, his eyes closed and his face cringing as if in great pain. He looked horribly pale and was constantly shivering.

"Usako…" Dimande heard Mamoru say hoarsely. _It is as if he is in a state of delirium… that he thinks he is speaking to her. No- in his weak state he has reverted to relying on only the most primary of his senses—being the bond of love and destiny he shares with her. Of course he senses her distress as well, and reacts only to that. Why would I assume I would be the only one to feel it?_

"That's right," Dimande began. "I can feel that she is hurting now as well. I am about to leave now to be by her side and protect her as I promised you that I would…" his speech faltered as he grew unsure of whether Mamoru could hear him, but he continued, "I go only to, as you yourself said, make sure that she knows she is never alone. I will do my best to protect her also, but I fear that this enemy is much stronger than I. However, I have the utmost faith in Usagi, so I know that if she keeps faith in herself, she will be fine. Just rest here and know that you need not fear for her safety—she is strong and she will always have myself and my brother at her side." Somewhat reluctantly, Dimande added, "And your heart will always be with her to give her strength as well."

Mamoru's tense expression softened and his eyes opened heavily to look at Dimande with acknowledgement and gratitude, though Dimande noted the sadness in his eyes as well. "Thank you," he breathed.

….

King Minos had disappeared into the walls again, completely unaffected by Sailor Mars' attacks, and Sailor Venus and Mars found themselves facing the Minotaur.

"This beast obviously has the advantage," Rei said as she and Minako ran attempting to get some distance from it. "The Minotaur dwells in the labyrinth… there is nowhere to run- it knows where every pathway leads."

Minako, already weakened from the beginning of the draining of her Star Seed's shine, was leaning on Rei's shoulder for support. "Rei, just go on without me. I can't run much more… and this battle is mine to fight, not yours."

"No, Minako, I am not leaving you behind!" Rei cried. _At this rate, though, the Minotaur will catch up to us… _"Wait here," she said, gently letting Minako down, leaning her against a wall.

_What is she doing? She's going the wrong way! Why is she moving towards it?_

"Hey you stupid bull, over here!" Rei yelled, waving her arms wildly. The Minotaur, though half man as well as bull, reacted just like a wild animal at Rei's movement. Rei ran as fast as she could, leading the beast way from where Minako rested. "It's just like bullfighting!" she called back to Minako.

Suddenly, Minako understood Rei's actions. _I see what she's doing… distracting it so that I can attack. _"Venus Love-Me Chain!" she cried, whipping the monster several times on its back.

Breathing fiercely, the gigantic figure turned back towards Minako and began to charge at her in rage.

"Fire Soul Bird!" Rei said, sending a fiery bird in front of the Minotaur's red eyes, leading the bird back to her to direct the beast's attention away from Minako.

_I need to hit it harder, with something more solid! _Frantically, Minako pulled out her chain once more, and holding it tightly directed all her strength into it, surprisingly formed a glowing sword out of the chain. _I did it! _"Wink Chain Sword!" she yelled, thrusting the metal into the Minotaur's muscular back.

Rei saw the Minotaur lunging towards her, its strong arms reaching for her neck and its horns thrashing dangerously close to her face. She could feel its hot breath as she stared directly into its angry eyes. Suddenly, she saw a blade penetrating through its chest; Minako had managed to finally kill the beast. In a flash the bull, eyes still wide in shock and anger, turned entirely to dust before Rei's eyes. In its last act it threw itself forward, and the jolting movement of the stabbing and it turning to dust caused the beast's horns to fly towards Rei, landing on either side of her head and pinning her in place by her hair.

"You did it, Minako!" she laughed while struggling to pull herself from the wall. She looked up to see Minako on her knees smiling weakly and finally falling face down on the ground. She ran forward, no longer caring about her hair pulling and getting damaged from being pinned down, and checked the pulse of one of her closest friends.

"Stay with me, Minako!" _She's unconscious… her power must have been almost completely absorbed- but she'll be okay, I hope._

"You would do well to be more concerned about yourself," she heard King Minos' voice say, though looking around she could not find him anywhere near her. She heard his chant begin, echoing down the halls, and her eyes widened in fear and shock.

_He has gotten stronger… he can now chant and summon beasts using our powers without even standing near us! Could it be that he uses the energy from the bests we defeat to increase his own power? _Rei felt hopeless, unable to move and frantically tried to think of a plan to defeat the beast that would be waiting for her, the giant boar.

_I'm so confused… is there any use? By defeating the beasts we allow King Minos to absorb the power that had been transferred from our own Star Seeds to the monster… No- I must fight whatever lies ahead for me, preventing a beast born from my own powers from reaching Usagi unprepared.. And I must have faith that Usagi will be able to face King Minos, no matter his strength._

….

Usagi, now walking through the dark corridors only with the Outer Senshi, felt totally alone, isolated from her best friends and guardians. Suddenly she felt a pang of pain in her heart. _It's happening again. Minako… and now I fear something is happening to Rei, too. I feel so lost._

Hotaru glanced over at her Princess and, seeing the distressed expression on her face, gave her a sweet smile. "I have no words to console you, but know that everyone is still with you."

_Are they? Mako-chan, Ami, now Minako and soon Rei… all hurt or worse- I cannot even think about it- for my sake. Mamo-chan, too; I can feel his pain pressing on my lungs all the time. But none of them are with me anymore, and though I care deeply for Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna and Hotaru, they aren't the friends that I've lived with, laughed with, cried with, and I don't think they understand how I feel at all. Dimande said everyone would be with me, but where is he, where is everyone, now?_


	17. Chapter 17: Reacquainted

**Chapter Seventeen: Reacquainted**

"She must be moving quickly, to have disappeared out of sight from the spot we travelled to," Dimande said, taking in his surroundings. _This is the place that my heart brought us to… why is she not here?_

"Yes, and we seem to have found ourselves in the middle of a labyrinth," Saphir replied. He touched the carvings on the dusty walls, recalling their similarities to the ancient beasts he had read about. _These must be the creatures that were to be reincarnated using their associated deity's life force as a sacrifice. I wonder how many of the Senshi have already fallen because of this? _Saphir shuddered at the thought, but chose not to share his observations with his brother. Immediately, he turned his sharp calculating mind to determine which way the two of them should go. His eyes scanned the many pathways surrounding them, trying to determine if there was a pattern involved in the maze's design.

"There must be some sort of logic to this," Saphir thought out loud, pushing his hair back out of his eyes and focusing on the locations of the carvings on the walls of each potential pathway.

Dimande stepped back to let his brother look around and think. _Saphir, what would I have done without you? It would have been impossible for me to navigate these corridors alone. Still, I am anxious to find her. I hope that this delay will not be longer than she can wait…_

"Brother! I've figured out the pattern!" Saphir said excitedly. "See how these images repeat themselves? Each image can be associated with a deity, which then can be associated with a planet. The corridor directly behind us, which I assume is the direction they travelled from, shows the carvings on the wall in the order of the planets they relate to. Every other path seems to depict the beasts in a random order, except for this one," he pointed to a winding hallway to their right, "That must be the correct path!"

Saphir ran ahead, leaving Dimande standing in amazement at the intellect of his younger brother. With no time to question Saphir's decision, Dimande ran to catch up with him, trusting his brother completely.

….

Rei found herself thrust to the ground right next to the unconscious Minako by the strength of the tusks the giant boar—the beast born of her powers and associated with Ares. Glancing over at her companion, she found the strength in her weakened state to push herself up and draw the creature away from where Minako lay.

_How am I supposed to beat this… thing? I already feel weak and the longer I wait the more of my strength is transferred to it. It's already so strong…_

The boar charged at Mars, its tusks glowing with heat and rage. Blazes of fire sprung from the ground where it trod.

_How dare this beast use heat and fire, my own power, against me! _Rei found herself constantly leaping over the flames and moving around to avoid being hurt by its tusks once more. _At least it's much slower than me… but I'm getting more and more tired as I lose power. I have to take action fast! I have to take a risk, instead of just avoiding its attacks._

"_Rin, Pyou, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!" _Instinctively, Rei meditated quickly, ignoring the flames she felt at her feet and the sound of hooves coming closer. "Akuryo Taisan!" she threw the ofuda on the boar's back as she leaped over the fire surrounding her, temporarily immobilizing it.

Having jumped behind the boar and gaining the element of surprise, she immediately drew the fiery string of her bow. _I'll have to fight fire with fire! _"Mars Flame Sniper!" she cried, releasing the arrow of fire. She could hear the boar wail in pain as the flame blasted right through its body. Finally, still flailing its hooves in anger, the boar turned to dust like all the beasts before it.

Smiling, Rei wiped the sweat from her hot forehead. Out of breath and coughing, she said to herself, "It's too hot here, even for me, Senshi of fire!" The flames caused by the boar had burned out, but the smoke from them still remained.

Drained of all her strength, and finding it difficult to breathe through the smoke, Rei dropped to the ground and drifted into unconsciousness. _I believe in you, Usagi, no matter King Minos' strength, no matter even if he borrows our own powers, I have faith that your light will protect this world._

….

_Rei! _Usagi gasped.

"Quiet!" Haruka snapped, putting a finger to Usagi's lips. "Something is coming…" she glanced over at Michiru, who nodded in response.

_I had sensed that this time would come… _"Hotaru," Michiru whispered. "It's time for us to leave the Princess in yours and Setsuna's hands. Please, take this, so you can make your way safely through the rest of this maze," she continued, handing Hotaru her mirror. "And travel quickly!"

Hotaru looked up at Michiru with both sadness and acceptance of her mission. _All of us are expendable, after all, as long as the Princess remains. _"Be safe, Michiru-mama, Haruka-papa," she whispered, already knowing they would not be.

"But why?" Usagi spoke, on the verge of tears. "Why is everyone leaving me?"

"Sorry, Odango," Haruka shrugged. "But something is coming and at the rate we're going, it's going to catch up to us. We'll stay behind and distract whatever it is so that you can make it out of here. Now hurry!" She shoved Usagi forward and then turned her back towards Usagi, Setsuna and Hotaru.

….

_Now we're running through the maze… it's just me, Hotaru and Setsuna. Even Michiru and Haruka have left me. _Usagi stopped to catch her breath, but found herself in the moment of silence recalling all the people already fallen for her sake. _I can't do this much longer!_

"Princess, we have to keep going," Setsuna spoke kindly, urging Usagi to push forward.

"Don't call me that anymore!" _I don't deserve it._

"Fine- Usagi, then. Uranus and Neptune insisted that we move quickly," Setsuna responded.

"That's right. It seems that the dark energy in here may dampen your powers. We have to get you out of here so that you can face King Minos at full strength, where the moonlight will reach you," Hotaru explained. _Though I have a feeling that the end of this maze does not lead outside to safety…_

_Ahh, yes, the moon… clean, crisp air… _Usagi shook the thought from her mind. _No- I'm being selfish. Everyone is still in here, somewhere, suffering from my protection, for the sake of their Princess. Why does possessing this Crystal, which seems to draw to it more hatred and fighting than light and peace, make me qualified to be this Princess that everyone takes care of?_

….

"Are you ready, Michiru? It's coming now," Haruka breathed, a hand on the grip of her sword.

"If I'm with you, I'm always ready for anything," Michiru said, giving a sidelong glance to her partner.

….

"This way, brother, this way!" Saphir yelled, running through the halls faster than Dimande, exhausted from teleporting both of them, could manage. Suddenly, though, he stopped in his tracks.

….

Haruka braced herself for a fight but stopped when she saw, rather than the shadowy figure of King Minos, a slight, seemingly harmless teenaged boy before her. "Who are you?" she asked, confused.

"You're… Sailor Senshi? Oh, you must be Uranus and Neptune, the Outer Senshi who protect the Solar System from your castles on its outer limits," the blue-haired boy said, his eyes flickering with excitement and nervousness. "I am Saphir… formerly of the Black Moon Clan," Saphir said, eyes fixated on Haruka's drawn weapon.

Haruka looked over at Michiru, who shrugged and smiled graciously to indicate to Haruka that she believed his story.

"Which means that…" Haruka began, but paused to see a taller figure appear behind Saphir then hunch over, out of breath. "Dimande is here."

"Yes, I believe you've already both met my brother," Saphir answered.

Dimande straightened out, assessing the situation. _They would not fight me, would they? Surely they must know now that my intentions are true…_

Michiru's eyes widened slightly with surprise, though she quickly batted her long lashes to cover the reaction from the two young men she faced. _So Hotaru's words were true. How did she know…?_


	18. Chapter 18: Reengaged

**Chapter Eighteen: Reengaged**

"What are you doing here?" Haruka asked Dimande calmly.

"You know why I am here," Dimande replied, looking Haruka directly in the eyes. He paused to consider his next words. "I do not come entirely of my own accord—Prince Endymion asked me to take care of her in his stead. He seemed to sense that there may be a time when she is completely alone and could lose her will to continue without a reminder of support. And now I see that you two have left her side? How are you supposed to protect her from here?" He started to become angry. _How dare they still doubt me! Why does no one understand?_

Saphir watched the exchange between Haruka and his brother. _I'm sensing some sort of rivalry between these two. Why can't my brother ever just respond nicely? No wonder people misunderstand his intentions. We're all on the same side! Not to mention that we don't have time for this—does he want to protect Usagi or not?_

Michiru also watched the exchange, amused by Haruka's reactions. _As always, Haruka is less than impressed with attractive or popular men. But sent by Mamoru, by Prince Endymion? Could it really be true that he would ask the closest he has now to a romantic rival to protect her in his place? _

Interrupting Haruka's attempt to explain civilly why they had left Usagi's side, Michiru asked, "Is it true that Prince Endymion charged you with protecting the Princess? How can we trust you?"

Being a prince, and therefore a man of his word, Dimande bowed and said simply, "I swear on my own life and honour that it is true."

Before either Haruka or Michiru had a chance to react to Dimande's response, they heard an eerie chant emanate from the walls.

"Minos!" Haruka exclaimed angrily as she tried to reach for her sword. _I can't move… how is this possible? Somehow he is gaining strength- he has all this power without even needing to show himself? _She looked over at her partner to see her also struggling to move.

"Ah, the lovers," they heard King Minos' voice say, surrounding them. "See, I am doing you both a favour, even now letting you be together!"

Dimande and Saphir only stood in shock as they watched the life forces sucked out of the two Senshi and form monsters before their eyes, powerless to do anything.

"I wish you luck defeating Campe, the dragon strong enough to guard the imprisoned children of Uranus, and the Cretan Bull, father of the Minotaur! Of course, I win whether you defeat them or not…" Minos laughed as he finished the chant. Haruka, Michiru, Dimande and Saphir only watched as they saw the monsters materialize, taking form in the walls where their images had been carved. The beasts, now incredibly large and very real, walked out of the walls and faced their Senshi counterparts.

_What did he mean by that? Is everything we do pointless?_ Finally able to move, Haruka ignored the constant pain and pulled out her sword, prepared to fight. _Fighting is what I do… if it's all the same to Minos, at least this way there'll be less monsters running around trying to steal out Princess' star seed. Everything I do must be to protect her._

The Campe, a giant female dragon, noted the Senshi's sword and turned away from Haruka in search of easier prey. Finding itself facing Saphir, the beast smiled and showed its razor sharp, venomous teeth. Saphir, in his shock, found himself paralyzed with fear and trapped in a corner while the scaly, snake-like body of the dragon made its way towards him.

"Saphir!" Dimande yelled, running towards the Campe intending to rescue his brother. _This is why I did not want Saphir to come here with me. I cannot bear to lose him again!_

However, the sound of Dimande's yell attracted the attention of the other beast Minos had summoned, the Cretan Bull. The giant, white bull charged at the unsuspecting Dimande, too preoccupied with his brother's safety to care about his own.

Michiru watched this occur as she pulled her weak body back up from the ground she had fallen on during the summon. Without thinking, she cried, "Deep Submerge!" sending an enormous globe of water towards the charging bull born of the very same powers. The giant bull, though barely injured from the blast, halted and turned its rage back to Michiru and away from Dimande.

Meanwhile, Haruka, seeing the Campe nearly reaching the terrified Saphir, ran as fast as she could manage in order to reach Saphir first. Standing in front of him, she held out her sword and let its point press into the dragon's chest as it approached. The Campe screamed in pain and thrashed its body backward in an attempt to be free of the blade, but the wound was too deep and Haruka's grip too strong to allow this to be done very easily.

"Y- You saved me!" Saphir stuttered. "Why?"

Still holding out her sword and keeping the dragon momentarily at bay, she responded, "This is our fight. You don't have the powers to defeat these beasts, and I don't like seeing innocent people get hurt for no reason. Now go—I can't hold this for much longer!"

Dimande reached out a hand to his brother and nodded to Haruka in thanks. As he turned around, he saw Michiru fighting the white bull as best she could, and recalled hearing the sound of hooves followed by a blast of water behind him while he focused on his brother. _I should help her… I still have some powers left, and she just saved my life while I was not even aware of the danger—I must repay her. _

"No! Save your powers," Michiru called as she saw Dimande preparing to attack the bull. While dodging its attacks, she added, "Leave us here; there's nothing you can do for us. Go and protect our Princess."

Dimande, though hesitant to leave the two weakened Senshi struggling to defeat the powerful beasts, understood the gesture of both Uranus and Neptune and accepted their trust. "Thank you," he said merely, as he started to run with Saphir past them and further into the maze. _I swear to you that I will protect her in whatever way I can. For your sake, for Endymion's sake, and for my own._

Before they had run very far beyond where Haruka and Michiru still fought, Saphir suddenly stopped and ran back.

"Saphir, why are you going back? It's not safe!" Dimande called, but received no response. He saw Saphir quickly say something to Neptune, but couldn't hear what it was. She nodded, apparently in thanks, and sent him back to catch up with his brother. "What did you need to tell her that you risked your life once again for it?" Dimande asked, angry at his brother's recklessness.

"Oh, just something I remembered that may help her to defeat the bull," Saphir said. _It's the best I can do as my thanks for saving me and my brother. My knowledge is all I have._ Saphir smiled to himself, satisfied.

….

Looking in the mirror that Michiru had given her, Hotaru was able to see all that had happened to Haruka and Michiru. _So my words, which I spoke hardly knowing their meaning myself, have proven true. Dimande's love for Usagi is real, and his intentions are good. But whether him being here is a good thing or not, I am not sure. I can't watch any more of this, seeing Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama struggle so much, knowing I can do nothing to help!_

"Are you alright, Hotaru?" Usagi asked. _She's usually so calm… I forget sometimes that she's only a little girl, like Chibiusa…_

"Don't worry, Usagi," Hotaru forced a smile. "Everything is happening as it is meant to." _If only it didn't have to… she seems so sad all the time. It would be best for me not to tell her what I've seen._

Unsure how to take Hotaru's response, Usagi let it go and tried to focus on moving forward. _What else can I do now but keep going and hope for the light at the end?_

Hotaru's words worried Setsuna who had for some time felt distortions in the flow of time. _I know how everything is "meant" to happen… at least, how everyone believes it will. But as I grow more and more unsure of which future path we are headed down, I grow more and more concerned about what is happening in the present._


	19. Chapter 19: Reassured

**Chapter Nineteen: Reassured**

Michiru flashed a smile at Haruka as she continued to dodge the bull's attacks. _Minos did us more of a favour than he realized by summoning both beasts at the same time. _She recalled Saphir's hasty words to her before he ran to protect Usagi with his brother: "_The Minoans had a sacred ritual where they would jump over the backs of bulls… that has to be where its weakness is!_"

"What is it?" Haruka called to Michiru as she continued to slash at the dragon with her sword.

"Care to switch opponents?" Michiru replied. _All the powers of the sea are doing nothing against this bull… because it is born of Poseidon just as I am it is resilient to water… Perhaps with a sword driven through its weak spot I'll stand a better chance. _"It looks like you're having trouble there," she added as she noticed the dragon's fiery breath overpower Haruka's wind-based attacks.

Haruka nodded to her partner, and despite the constant drain on her energy, ran faster than ever before away from the Campe and towards the bull. Michiru met Haruka halfway, motioning to her what the bull's weak spot was.

"Let's see how you like water! Deep Submerge!" Michiru yelled, surrounding the Campe with an ocean of water. The dragon cried out as its flames fizzled out in the rush of water. Now unable to create fire, it turned back to threatening its opponent with venomous fangs. The beast lunged for Michiru in anger, but she was too fast and had it spinning in circles trying to catch her.

Michiru glanced over at Haruka and saw her running directly towards the charging bull. Taking it completely by surprise, she used the monster's head like a box horse and leaped over its horns onto its back. The bull began to thrash wildly to knock Haruka off, but she held firmly and jabbed her sword deep into the soft flesh behind its head.

Leaving the sword in place, Haruka jumped off the bull as it shrieked in pain. Covered in bruises and gasping for air, Haruka made her way back to the Campe. She gestured back to the White Bull. "He's ready for you… I'll take this from here, Michiru."

Michiru smiled back in thanks as she returned to fight the now stunned bull. _I'm starting to feel faint… but with Haruka's help I've almost finished this beast. I hope I have enough in me._ "Deep Submerge!" she cried, sending a rush of water to her opponent once more. _Oh, thank goodness, it was enough. _As the still screaming bull vanished, Michiru caught the falling sword. Completely drained of energy, she threw the sword in Haruka's direction as she fell to the ground.

Haruka caught her sword by the handle. Also feeling weak, Haruka cried, "Space Sword Blaster!" as she put all her strength into one final move. The Campe, eyes wide and mouth gaping in shock, finally turned to dust. Feeling the pull of sleep draw her in, Haruka crawled to where Michiru lay and just managed to touch Michiru's hand as she drifted into unconsciousness.

….

"We're almost there, brother!" Saphir said as he continued to run through the maze. _It can't be much further, can it?_

"Yes, I can feel it," Dimande replied, a hand over his heart. _After seeing what's happened to Uranus and Neptune, how can I go on and assure Usagi that she is not alone? I knew before of what was happening, but watching it happen and being unable to do anything to stop it is a different thing entirely. How can I comfort her after knowing all the pain her companions have gone through?_

Saphir, noticing Dimande get suddenly silent, scanned his brother's face. _He's lost completely in thought… Though he fought with her and acted as a rival to her, seeing Uranus in that much pain, as well as Neptune, clearly had a deep effect on him. _"Brother? I know that you're bothered by what we just saw…" _This is why I didn't tell him earlier about what the wall carvings implied. _"But you have to have faith. Uranus and Neptune protected us, protected you, for a reason. They accepted their own fates—that was their battle, not ours—and sent us to meet Usagi because they believe in their Princess, and in what you can do for her, to support her when they no longer can."

_I don't even know what I'm saying myself anymore. All I can think of is Petz's words: "Like Usagi, trust in your brother… You have to believe in him." I'm still not happy with his continued obsession with Usagi, but I'm learning to believe in him, to believe in the reason why we were reborn: to be there for her, so she can protect this beautiful world._

Dimande, whose pace had slowed as he grew unsure of himself, smiled at his brother. "Thank you, Saphir. You've given me the hope I need to keep going." _I do have faith in her. Who else could light up the entire galaxy with her love? _Dimande placed a hand on Saphir shoulder, nodded gratefully, and began to run forward, filled with hope and determination.

Saphir started to follow his brother further into the labyrinth, thinking more on what Petz had said to him. "_Go with Prince Dimande; protect her together. He needs you, and she may need you both."_

….

_I can't see anything in the mirror anymore. That means… _Hotaru noticed a drop of water fall on the surface of the mirror, and looking in its reflection, was shocked to realize that her own tears had fallen.

"Hotaru?" Usagi spoke sweetly, crouching so she could look Hotaru directly in the eyes. "I know it's hard… I can feel in my heart what you might have seen in that mirror. But you have to keep going, and just have hope that things will get better." She smiled as she realized she had given the exact advice she herself wanted to hear. _Mamo-chan… Mako-chan, Ami, Minako, Rei… Haruka, Michiru… everyone, wait for me! Somehow, we'll all get through this._

Setsuna, though happy to see Usagi's mood brighten, began to frown as she heard a chant reach her ears and realized its meaning. _I see… so my turn has come._

Hotaru's head jolted upwards and she stared at Setsuna in horror as she realized what had begun. "No… Setsuna-mama!"

Setsuna managed to hold out the Garnet Rod to keep Hotaru and Usagi away before she became completely paralyzed by the spell. "You should…" she fought the pain and tried to speak, "get away from here. Keep moving—I'll be fine. Just go." _I'm sorry to seem so harsh, Hotaru… But King Minos, even in all his strength now, can only drain the shine of Star Seeds that are within the same area as each other. If Hotaru and Usagi can make it away from here, they'll still have a chance…_

Hotaru, despite her instinct to rush to her adoptive mother's aid, recognized her priority as a Senshi to protect Usagi, and pushed forward. She closed her eyes as she pulled Usagi away, so she would not look back to see Setsuna struggle. _Like Usagi said, we have to keep going, and keep hope. All of our hope, our faith, rests on her._


	20. Chapter 20: Rebelled

**Chapter Twenty: Rebelled**

Petz looked up at the tall apartment building before her, holding her hand to her eyes to block the glare as she thought back on her last meeting with Saphir.

_His warm, long arms drew me in, and he held me to his strong chest for a long time. I knew he was leaving, I had told him to go. But that didn't make it any less painful._

"_My brother and I are going now," he said, still holding me close. I breathed in so I would never forget his scent and his warmth. "You have helped me so much, Petz. But I have one last favour to ask you…" All he has to do is look at me and I'd do anything for him. "Please, take care of Mamoru… I understand that he is very sick; my brother had visited him before and said he was in terrible condition. He has no one left to care for him now… What ever my brother's idea about his relationship with Usagi, even he understands how devastated she would be without Mamoru. And with all the grief we caused him in the past, and all he has done for us, we owe him this much."_

"_Of course, Saphir. Of course," I said, repeating myself as I fought the tears._

"_I won't leave you with anything to keep until my return…" he remembered the pain it caused me the last time. "But know this: you will always have my heart."_

Petz shook the image of Saphir walking away from her mind and focused on finding Mamoru's apartment.

"Ah, here it is… the door's open…?" Petz pushed the door open wider, and peeked inside. Clutching the thermos holding soup she had made for Mamoru, she called, "Mamoru? It's Petz— Saphir's… well, Usagi's friend. May I come in?" _He did say that Mamoru was incredibly weak. Maybe he's too weak even to respond. _She decided to let herself in.

Following Luna, who had come to greet her, Petz made her way to Mamoru's room. Seeing his tense expression and feverish appearance, Petz set her thermos down and got to work preparing a wet cloth to calm his fever.

….

Setsuna stoically accepted her fate and faced her opponent—Cerberus, the guardian of Hades, a giant three-headed dog.

_As Pluto my realm extends to the gates of time; the very dimension, known to humans only through stories and legends passed down, that the Ancient Greeks and Cretans called Hades. Cerberus was meant to be my companion, a watchdog to protect the time-space doors that I could not—its three heads were so it could look in every direction that I was not able to see._

_As time continued to flow, I grew surer of my position, more focused on my duties, and improved my skills of perception. Cerberus, recognizing my decreasing reliance on him and my intense focus on the events in the outside world, grew ever more curious and began to wander through the foggy dimension… He must have lost his way—I never saw him again. Unable to leave my post, I could not actively search for him. Still, as I patrolled constantly I always remained hopeful that one day I would find him._

"So you finally found me," Setsuna spoke to the angry beast. All three heads snarled and growled in reply and thrust forward attempting to bite and scratch Setsuna with its hundred of razor sharp teeth. _Is this fierce anger and hatred a result of King Minos' influence, or because of the built up loneliness and fear from hundreds of years alone and lost?_

Despite constantly losing strength and increasing sense of pain, Setsuna resisted attacking the dog, choosing instead to continue dodging and blocking its attacks that came from every angle.

_Minos made a good choice to summon Cerberus from my powers… how can I raise a hand to my sole companion from the past?_

All six eyes, red and glowing, fiercely stared down at Setsuna. Its pitch black fur seemed to radiate with anger.

_No… it's not just anger. I sense Cerberus' despair…_

Setsuna had no time to think; the watchdog revealed its sharp claws as it began scratching at the ground beneath her feet, getting closer and closer to inflicting serious damage on the devastated Senshi.

"Dead Scream," she whispered, directing a ball of energy at her one time companion. Though the attack did little to hurt the beast, it served its purpose—Cerberus stopped in its tracks. Its eyes, before so fierce with anger, began to seem distraught and confused. _This is my only chance._

"Cerberus! Surely you remember me—Pluto, guardian of Space-Time, of the dimension called Hades by the Greeks. I am sorry that I abandoned you. It was the tragedy of the Moon Kingdom that made me strengthen my skills and focus on the occurrences in the world, leaving you to wander. I never intended for any of this to happen… I was still young, I did not realize. I searched for you always. But now you are being corrupted. This is not your anger, not your hatred, but that of King Minos!" Setsuna finished speaking, out of breath as even more of her Star Seed's shine was transferred to the perplexed Cerberus.

Cerberus' eyes lost their glow, and all three heads began to thrash violently, finally aware of its actions and disturbed by the harm it had caused and continued to cause its partner.

As Setsuna reached to touch one of the faces of Cerberus, she heard someone snapping behind her, and the beast began to turn to dust—disappearing completely before she was able to reunite with her companion.

"My, my," she heard King Minos' voice say. "What a surprise. I never expected that your bond would be so great that the beast's true spirit would take over the form I created for my purpose… Never mind, I have already attained all the strength I need to from you, Pluto. Now is time for the final steps of my plan to take action…" his voice drifted off as his presence vanished.

"No…" Setsuna said hoarsely, straining. _Not Hotaru…_ She heard the sound of quick footsteps echoing down the hallway drawing ever nearer.

"Pluto?" Dimande spoke, astonished to find the Senshi collapsed on the ground gasping for air.

Saphir ran to her side, checking her pulse and breathing. "Stay with us, Pluto!" _It's happened again…_

Dimande could not stand to look. _Seeing someone, anyone, collapsed on the ground and weak transports me back to that day when I watched Saphir die before my eyes, and held his broken body in my arms…_

"Don't worry about me… I see two future paths that have opened for you and for the Princess. Go and help her to choose th— " she fainted mid-sentence. Saphir and Dimande waited silently, hoping to hear the rest of her request, but she did not wake up.

"Come, Saphir. We should move on and help Usagi as she asked for us to do," Dimande instructed, trying to control the quiver in his voice. _Two future paths? What did she mean?_

Saphir checked one last time to be sure Pluto was still breathing, then got up to join his brother. _I think I have a feeling of what is to come, of what she meant. The future we know is not absolute… our presence has distorted the flow of time…_

….

Usagi continued to walk through the maze with Hotaru, fighting her feelings and impulses to simply stop and cry for her fallen friends. _I feel overwhelmed with dread. And yet, at the same time, I am filled with a new hope. _


	21. Chapter 21: Revisited

**Chapter Twenty-one: Revisited**

"Princess… I think it's time that I should leave you," Hotaru spoke calmly to Usagi, trying to hide the emotions welling up inside her. _Setsuna-mama… this enemy is so strong. I have to hold him off so Sailor Moon can get out of here and use her full powers._ Taking note of Usagi's shocked expression, Hotaru continued to turn around and walk further back into the maze. "You're almost at the exit, I'll—" she paused when she felt Usagi grab her wrist, begging her to stop.

"Please, Hotaru, stay with me! Whatever may be coming, we'll face it together," Usagi exclaimed. _I don't think I could stand to be alone. But it's not just for me that I said that. Hotaru is just a young girl, not much older than… never mind. It should be me protecting her, not the other way around._

Though feigning exasperation, Hotaru was secretly relieved. "Alright, I'll stay with you." Her eyes appeared to glaze over and her expression went blank as she proceeded to say "You will not need to be alone during this battle—that is a promise." Immediately Hotaru grew concerned of her own words. _Ever since my rebirth, I've had visions… I can do nothing to stop them- they just flow through me, often without me even knowing their meaning. Will I be the one to stay with her during this battle? I already know the answer. I should feel assured that they will reach her side in time, and yet I fear that it is distorting the future we all held faith in…_

Usagi didn't notice Hotaru's concerned expression, and took her words as a promise that Hotaru would remain with her, and stay safe. Her grip on Hotaru's wrist loosened, though she still refused to let go. "Thank goodness", she said.

….

Dimande struggled to shake the image of the defeated Pluto from his mind. _I have to continue pressing forward now… we have come so far, and have made promises to so many people. I need to be there for her._

"Brother, can you tell if we're getting close?" Saphir spoke cautiously. _I can see that my brother is getting tense… as if preparing himself for what lies ahead. I've reached the limit of my abilities. I feel that I am now just being a burden on him, another person he feels the need to protect. No—that's wrong. He came here to support Usagi, to make sure she was never alone. Her strength is far greater than any of us- but she needs to have faith in her actions for the power of the Silver Crystal to release. _

_My brother is here to make sure she keeps her faith. I must be here to ensure that he keeps his own, that he can carry on even when knowing that it may lead to more pain. _Pausing very briefly from their running, Saphir faced his brother, placed his hands on Dimande's shoulders, and looked him directly in the eyes.

Dimande glanced at the hands on his shoulders and smiled. _Not so long ago it would have been me placing my hands on Saphir's shoulders, supporting him. _Clasping his own hands over Saphir's, he nodded and said, "We are very close, I can sense it." _And somehow I know that we will be needed very soon…_

…_._

Hotaru held out her glaive in front of her, trying to grasp it tightly to hide the shaking of her hands. She glanced over her shoulder to check on Usagi.

Usagi's face showed nothing but concern for Hotaru. _It's happening to her too, isn't it? Why can't he just face me instead? _"Hotaru…" she began, but stopped as she heard Hotaru cry out and saw her double over in pain. Usagi ran over to try and help Hotaru _somehow… _but Hotaru pushed her away, swinging her glaive at Usagi to ensure that she stayed back.

"Don't come too close… Usagi," Hotaru forced a pained smile. _I know what monster Minos is planning to summon… Typhon, the father of all monsters, son of Gaia and Saturn, my namesake. There is only one thing that will stop it…_

….

Mamoru stayed asleep but Petz noticed his eyelids fluttering wildly as his whole body began to shake.

_I don't know what to do… of course as the oldest I took care of Koan, Calaveras, and Berthier like a mother… I basically raised them. So I know how to ease pain and lower fevers… but he is beyond that. I don't know what I can do… but I promised Saphir that I would care for him._

Doing all she could think to do, Petz replaced the wet cloth on Mamoru's forehead with a fresh one and wrapped another blanket around him.

"Usako…" he mumbled over and over.

Suddenly, his eyes opened and he leaped up. Now sitting up and no longer caring about himself, Mamoru looked at the startled Petz. "Where am I? Where is Usako?" Looking around and remembering, he forced himself to calm down. All the excitement had proved too much for his weak body, and he began to cough and wheeze. _She is frightened… I need to go to her, she can't be alone—_but then Mamoru remembered something else.

"_I am about to leave now to be by her side and protect her as I promised you I would"_

"I'm sorry, you're still very weak… you should lie back down," Petz said gently.

Momentarily confused by Petz's presence, Mamoru realized almost immediately who must have asked her to come. "You're right," he said hoarsely as he eased himself back down and rested his head on the pillow. _That's right. She won't be alone. And it seems I have more to be grateful for than just Dimande: Saphir, as well._

_But it worries me… It's not that I don't trust him to protect her… It's that she opens her heart to everyone. But that's part of why I love her. _

_I have to let her make her own path. Not everything has to be guided by destiny._

….

_The Typhon is gigantic, worse than I had imagined. All I can do is swing my glaive wildly in the hopes of hurting it. I must protect Usagi! In the place of hands it has dragon heads, and I can feel the heat of the fire they breathe just barely missing my skin. It has wings, too, though I doubt it can use them in the labyrinth…_

Hotaru began to grow tired. While preoccupied with fending off the dragon heads, she did not notice the beast's gaze turn to Usagi, who stood, frantic and unsure, behind Hotaru.

_What should I do? My healing powers won't do much good against this, and I don't have a tiara anymore. How does everyone expect me to fight Minos when I can't even fight this? How can I protect Hotaru?_

The Typhon spread its wings, revealing their green, scaly surface to hold what looked like silver feathers sticking up, as if about to shoot outwards. Hotaru noticed the monster's sneer and realized what was to happen. _Those feathers… they're made of stone! If it releases those, Usagi will…_

With no time to think, and still facing the fire from the dragon heads, Hotaru cried out, "Silent Wall!" forming a barrier protecting herself and Usagi. She began to pant. "I can't hold this for long. Usagi, stay back. It's time for me to end this." Hotaru closed her eyes and raised the Silence Glaive. _The only way I can defeat the Typhon is to bring down my glaive. I will sacrifice myself to protect what I believe in. _She began to bring the weapon down.

Usagi realized what Hotaru was doing, and ran towards her. "Hotaru, no! Don't waste your life for me!" She grabbed Hotaru's arms to stop her.

"Chibiusa, please—" Hotaru gasped as she realized her mistake. _This happened before, as I protected Chibiusa from Nehellenia. But it's too late. _As a result of Hotaru beginning to bring down her glaive, the ground began to shake as though from a massive earthquake, and the ceiling, all made of hard rock, came crashing down on top of Hotaru and the Typhon.

Dimande and Saphir arrived at Usagi's side just in time to witness the rocks tumbling down.

"Hotaru!" Usagi cried, frantically digging through the rubble.

"Usagi," Dimande knelt beside her and placed one arm around her.

Usagi looked Dimande straight in the eyes, tears streaming down her face. "Please," she pleaded. "Help me get Hotaru out of here!"

Without a second thought both Dimande and Saphir began lifting the large rocks covering Hotaru's unconscious body. Saphir checked for a pulse. "She's still alive! Weak, but alive." Putting Hotaru on his back, Saphir got up and started moving forward. "Come on, we're almost at the end of the maze." His voice was shaky, though he did his best to sound confident. _As long as that monster is still alive under that rubble, it will continue to suck the power of this young girl's Star Seed. But there is no time to turn back. We must hope that Usagi can defeat Minos before then. No, I know that she will._

Still leaning against Dimande and crying on his shoulder, Usagi nodded and wiped the tears off her face. "Thank you… both of you."

Dimande looked down and into Usagi's eyes. No words were necessary. _I have faith in her. She will overcome this, and protect this beautiful world, as she has done so many times before. _He held out his hand, and Usagi placed her own delicate hand on top of his.

"Let's go," she said, suddenly determined.


	22. Chapter 22: Recognized

**Chapter Twenty-two: Recognized**

_The hallways are getting narrower and lower as we begin to reach the exit of the maze. We're so close together that I can hear Usagi's shaky breathing, feel the shallow breaths of Sailor Saturn who, while still unconscious, I continue to carry, and sense the tension between my brother and Usagi. None of us knows what to expect. _

"Look, I can see light—natural light—coming from the end of that corridor! We really are at the exit now!" Saphir exclaimed.

Dimande and Usagi remained silent. Usagi's steps were shaky, and she leaned on Dimande for support. She glanced up at Saphir, and at Hotaru resting on his back. _She looks so peaceful… but she must be in pain. I have to do something. I need to fix this. For her, and for all my other friends. _Though tears welled up in her eyes, her expression remained one of certainty and determination. _I don't know how I can do anything. I don't know why everyone placed all their faith in me. But for their sake, I have to do something. I have to win!_ She began to grow unsure once more._ I don't want to go through another senseless battle! But if this is what I have to do for my friends to be safe and happy again, I'll do my best, however I can._

"Usagi," Dimande began, holding her hands in his own and pausing to look at her in the eyes, "Whatever happens beyond here, I want you to know—"

"We're here! This is it!" Saphir called out, unaware that he was interrupting his brother. He gently placed Hotaru on the ground and began to push at a stone brick in the wall that made their journey appear to lead to a dead end. As he pushed the loose stone in, a soft, white light began to pour in through the cracks. "It's just big enough for one of us to crawl through at a time, but I can see the sky, I can see the moon: it's a beautiful, full moon."

Hearing those words made Usagi lose her composure, overwhelmed with both a sense of relief and dread. As she helped to carry Hotaru through the small exit and made her own way out, she slowly breathed in the fresh air and felt the moonlight touch her skin.

It took Saphir a moment to get his bearings and determine where they should go next, but when he looked directly ahead of him and saw a large, seething volcano he knew immediately where King Minos waited for them. _At the base of that volcano must be the ritual altar, where the Moon goddess Selene's life force is to be sacrificed for the sake of the lost civilization. Minos must be waiting there, saving his strength and betting on the fact that Sailor Moon will come to him because of her friends._

Dimande followed his brother's eyes and saw the seemingly angry volcano for himself. "Is that where we must go, Saphir?" _I didn't expect it to be easy… but just from looking at that formation I can tell that this is going to be dangerous._

"Yes, Minos is probably waiting at the base," Saphir replied.

Without even glancing at his younger brother, Dimande started to walk toward the volcano, with Usagi following him.

"Brother, please wait! I have to put Saturn on my back again before I can—"

"No," Dimande said simply. He looked back at Saphir with a cold, determined stare that Saphir had not seen since Dimande was still corrupted by Wiseman. _I'm sorry, Saphir. I have to be harsh, otherwise I know that you will follow us._ "There is nothing you could possibly do but get in the way. Stay here with the girl. I will accompany Usagi alone." He looked away from his brother and continued to walk forward.

Dimande didn't even look at Saphir long enough to see his shocked and hurt expression. _He's right… I suppose I would have been more a hindrance than anything else. But I didn't come here to help in the fight. I came here to support my brother._

It took until Dimande and Usagi were out of earshot before Saphir understood his brother's intentions. _Even at this crucial time he is protecting me, as he promised he would._ Saphir looked at the girl lying unconscious next to his feet. _And it is certainly clear that she is not in good enough condition to withstand the heat of the volcano and the strength of Minos. My brother is not so reckless as he would have others believe_. Saphir bent down and checked on Sailor Saturn's breathing. He suddenly felt overcome with a sense of sympathy for the young girl. _She's in a weak state, her breathing is shaky and she has an incredible fever… and the only place for her to rest is on this rocky terrain? This girl has gone through too much. _He quickly took off his jacket, rolled it up, and placed it under her head like a pillow.

"I'm sorry, Sailor Saturn. This is the best that I can do for you," Saphir spoke despite knowing that she was not likely to hear. _For you who gave my brother the knowledge he needed to come here, who even though a child still protected Sailor Moon with your life. I wish I could do more._

Suddenly, the expression on Hotaru's face changed, appearing strained. Without opening her eyes she coughed and began to breathe heavier. "Minos… Chaos…" she managed to say before falling unconscious again.

Saphir was surprised. _She shouldn't have been able to wake. Was that another vision? What did that mean?_

….

"_Endymion…"_

With it becoming nighttime, Mamoru had sent Petz to be with her sisters, and so he expected to be alone save for Luna, Artemis and Diana. He slept uncomfortably, finding it difficult to breathe because of the blackness continuing to spread in his lungs. _What was that voice? I recognize it, as if from my dreams. _Despite hearing a voice call to him, his eyes were too weary to open, and his throat too dry to speak.

"_His fever is getting worse," _he heard another voice say.

_This voice is even more familiar to me. But more mature than the sweet, young voice I'm thinking of… _He felt a cool, wet towel being placed on his forehead once again, and the relief allowed him to feel well enough to open his eyes.

"Hi Mamo-chan!" a cheerful pink-haired girl, about the same age as Usagi, said. "It's me, Chibiusa! I know I'm a lot older than the last time you saw me…" _He looks so weak. No wonder Mama sent me to check on him. She told me that he needed me, and at an age where I could really be able to help. _

Mamoru smiled at the sight of his beautiful future daughter. He forced himself to speak what little he could. "But who…"

"I came here with Chibiusa, Endymion," the same voice said again, stepping forward and revealing himself to be Helios. He reached for Chibiusa's hand, as if offering her support.

"I asked him to come here with me," Chibiusa blushed, looking up at the boy with affection. "Oh, Diana!" she said, seeing the kitten purring at her feet. "Thank you for watching over Mamo-chan so well all this time!" _I couldn't bring myself to stay earlier, knowing what was to happen. And Mama told me not to interfere any more than I needed to._

Helios smiled, pleased to see Chibiusa in such good spirits. _She was nervous to come here, knowing what she does. It is so difficult for her… _

Seeing his future daughter before him gave Mamoru a sense of assurance. _As long as she is still here, I know that I will be fine… that Usako will pull through and drive out the evil consuming the planet. I always had faith in her, but somehow, seeing Chibiusa fills me with even more hope for the future._

….

Usagi and Dimande walked in silence towards the place where Minos waited, Usagi's arm still draped over Dimande's shoulder for extra support.

_We're both too nervous to speak. I've been leaning on him since he found me, but I feel no desire to pull away. His strength keeps me strong, and I feel more comfortable and safe like this than I have since before we came to this place. _

_She has not let go of me since I first offered her my hand. I feel so comfortable like this… it is hard to believe where we are headed. Neither of us has looked back since I last spoke so harshly to Saphir. It had to be done. I keep telling myself that… He is my only brother and losing him once was already more than I can bear. But Usagi, who usually welcomes the company of others, also has not turned to look behind us. I think it is for the same reason that she continues to cling to me: she can only look forward, the past only brings her pain. Looking at Saphir and Sailor Saturn with him would only serve to remind her. Walking with me does not hold those memories for her, so she can feel completely at ease and focus on the future instead. But I sense that there is more to this than that…_


	23. Chapter 23: Refreshed

**Chapter Twenty-three: Refreshed**

"So you've finally made it here," Usagi heard a dark, menacing voice say as she and Dimande reached the base of the volcano. In a flash of smoke and fire, King Minos appeared before them. "I suppose I should commend you for lasting this long… all alone."

Usagi gasped at the reminder of her fallen allies. She felt Dimande's strong hand on her shoulder, supporting her and emphasizing that she still was not alone, that he was still with her. _And yet I still feel so alone…_

"Now you know how I've felt, all these years, being the only survivor of my people and able neither to do anything to help them nor die with them," Minos said in a tone that seemed, to Usagi, more sad and desperate than dark and evil.

_He's really in pain… is this really what he wants? To hurt so many people? To cause the whole world to go into chaos? Does he not realize that it would only end up hurting his people again? Wait… I've seen this before. _"This isn't really what you want, is it, Minos? You're hurt and angry, but isn't peace all you really want?" Usagi looked at the ghostly figure with sympathy.

Dimande, suddenly realizing how little he could do to protect Usagi due to the great difference in strength between him and Minos, looked at Usagi in a mixture of amazement and shock. _What is she doing? I cannot understand why she is looking at him so sympathetically… does she not hate him for what he has done? _But then Dimande remembered how, even after all the disturbing things he had done (which he could not bring himself to even think of anymore), Usagi still cried for him, still wished for him to have the chance to live on. _And still treats me so kindly now. But that was different, I was being corrupted… what is Minos' excuse?_

"This isn't really your doing at all, is it, Minos?" Usagi pressed on.

The sadness and despair in his expression suddenly gone, Minos began to laugh. His eyes began to glow red as he spoke, "That's right. You didn't really think that I had been banished for good, did you?"

_I knew it… this isn't Minos at all, it's Chaos! _"But how…"

"You banished me to people's minds, remember? This one was weak, a truly tortured soul who lived, barely living, frozen with despair for thousands of years. He was easy prey! But now that I have the powers of the Sailor Senshi, this body is strong. After I take your powers I will be unstoppable, and the entire universe will finally descend into chaos!" His form began to change, getting larger and darker, with giant bat-like wings, just as had appeared on Galaxia when her body had been fully taken over by Chaos. "And now that you're all alone, not even you can stop me!" A gigantic sword materialized in his hand and he lunged towards Usagi.

Usagi didn't have time to react, and braced herself for the pain she expected to follow.

"Usagi!" Dimande jumped in front of her, taking the blow in her place. He fell to the ground, Chaos' power too great to withstand.

"Dimande!" Usagi cried. _Even Dimande only gets hurt protecting me… I'm all alone. I can't do this. I don't want to fight! Not like this! _

"You're crying, for me… again," Dimande breathed. He reached up to wipe the tears off of Usagi's face. "Please have strength. You are not alone. I am still with you. I promise." _I'm having to fight the urge not to faint… the pain is almost too much for me. But I will fight it for her sake, so that she can see that she is not alone, that she will never be alone. That is worth all the pain in the world._

Usagi nodded, comforted by Dimande's words. _But I need everyone's strength. I can't do this with just my own power._

"Now that the tender moment is over with, shall we continue?" Chaos cackled as he flew towards Usagi, flailing his sword wildly.

….

Deep within the labyrinth, surrounded by rubble, Makoto finally woke up, sensing that somehow she was needed. "Usagi…" _she needs me. But what power do I have now? I still feel completely drained of all my strength. _She bowed her head and clasped her hands together, as if praying. "Please, Zeus, Jupiter… whoever you are. Please, grant me strength!" She concentrated deeply.

Nearby Makoto, Ami also was awakened, sensing the same need to help Usagi. Noticing the energy focusing around the meditating Makoto, Ami did the same. "Please, give me the power I need!"

Further into the maze, lying next to each other, Minako and Rei woke up simultaneously.

"Rei, you're all right? Our Princess… Usagi… she needs us," Minako said, reaching out for Rei's hand.

Grasping Minako's hand, Rei nodded and closed her eyes, beginning to chant. "Yes… we are needed. Please… somehow let us have the strength to help her!"

Haruka and Michiru also woke up together, immediately sensing the uncertainty in Usagi's heart, and the need to lend her their powers.

"Our Princess sure is needy, isn't she?" Haruka laughed weakly, holding Michiru's hands in hers.

"Yes, but we like that about her, don't we?" Michiru replied, smiling. _If we all focus our hearts as one… I'm sure that the other Senshi will know what to do as well._

Deeper in, Setsuna woke up as well. She immediately knew what she had to do. _It's as though I've done it a thousand times already… being a guardian of time does allow for its advantages. I know what will happen when our energies are all joined together._

….

"Princess…" Hotaru mumbled, slowly opening her eyes.

"Oh, you're awake! I'm so glad," Saphir said, immediately relieved.

"Yes. And my Princess needs me," she closed her eyes once again, falling into a trance, focusing all her energy on her goal.

Saphir was amazed as he watched a glow surround the girl. In a flash of light, her uniform had changed- she now had puffed sleeves, a two layered skirt, and white boots. _Is this… her ultimate form? Her Eternal form?_

….

Continuing to dodge Chaos' many attacks and already covered in bruises, cuts and scrapes, Usagi suddenly felt a new strength, a new hope rising inside of her. She looked up. _There's light glowing all around me. I can see everyone! Mako-chan, Ami, Minako, Rei, Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna, and Hotaru! They're all beautiful visions in front of me. But they all look different… their forms have changed, they're even stronger now. If we all join forces, this time for sure, I know we can banish Chaos!_

"Don't think I will be defeated so easily!" Chaos cried, a sense of desperation in his voice. He proceeded to send blasts of energy, fire, lightning, water and wind at Usagi—directing the powers of the Senshi he had drained energy from towards their Princess.

As if in a trance, Usagi easily deflected all of Chaos' attacks. _We can do this! I'm not alone; my friends are with me. _"Don't worry, Minos, I will free you so that you can finally rest in peace with your people. Chaos won't be able to have his way anymore!"

Suddenly, the Silver Crystal was in Usagi's hands, and she focused all her thoughts and hopes into its powers. _I can feel that everyone else is putting their powers into the Crystal, too, from wherever they are. _"Silver Moon Crystal Power!" Usagi shouted as she, Dimande, and Chaos were all bathed in a bright, pure white light.

"We will banish this evil!" Dimande heard the voices of all the Senshi be cry in unison, despite him only seeing Usagi in his presence. _She did it… she really stopped Chaos, without even needing to fight. _He looked down at his own body, noticing that the blood had disappeared. _That beautiful light, it healed me completely. _

"_Thank you…" _the true voice of King Minos could be heard as his body turned to dust, allowing him to finally join his people and rest in peace.

"Usagi, you did it! And you even healed my wounds with your power… Usagi?" Dimande turned to face Usagi and watched her fall to her knees and drift into unconsciousness. "Usagi, can you hear me?" Sitting beside her body, Dimande gently wiped the dirt off of her cheeks and looked at her lovingly. He leaned closer, his lips hovering over hers. _I almost want to kiss her right here…_


	24. Chapter 24: Relived

**Chapter Twenty-four: Relived**

A young, pale boy stared out a foggy window at the storm outside. "_She doesn't like thunderstorms_", he said, almost to himself. His green eyes glowed as if the wisdom of lives other than his own resided behind them.

Usagi went over to the boy, ran her fingers through his fair, jade coloured hair, concerned. "_Who_ doesn't, Peridot? Who is _she_?"

"Chibiusa," Peridot stated, blinking at his mother.

Usagi gasped. _The memories of the past are forever haunting me. It's been years now, since I changed my future path to this one. But somehow, my son—rather, Dimande's son, for he is very much like him: mysterious yet strong-willed—recalls the future that never was. It worries me… _

….

"What's wrong, Usagi?" Dimande asked, noticing Usagi's worried expression. He reached out to hold her hand, intending to comfort her.

As soon as she felt Dimande's touch, she pulled away. _I'm so confused. _Realizing what she had done, she gave an apologetic look to Dimande. "I'm just not sure of anything anymore." She didn't dare tell him about Peridot's strange memories.

Dimande nodded, understanding everything. "You know, these past few years I have been happier than I had ever been in my life. Saphir is alive—better than alive! He is married to a beautiful woman, and they have two wonderful baby boys. I have a real life, with you, and with Peridot." He stopped, thinking about what all this meant. _I don't really understand it. The future has changed so much—in this timeline, will I, as I was born, ever come to exist? The calamity that will lead to Usagi being crowned Queen has not yet occurred, so it may be too early to tell… but I suspect that the fate of the Black Moon Clan will be different in this continuity. So much has already changed._

Usagi smiled, trying to be strong, and not wishing to upset Dimande's happiness.

"But you're not happy, are you? It's Peridot's abilities, isn't it? His memories of Chibiusa seem to be coming out quite frequently these days…"

"You knew?" Usagi was surprised. _I can't ignore his memories any longer… _

….

Usagi went to take a walk, at Dimande's insistence. _He's so understanding. It's like he's a completely different person from when I first encountered him. Of course, that was under the influence of Wiseman, and the Black Crystal… that wasn't the real him. There are days when he still wakes up in tears remembering what he did. But I forgave him long ago. I know that wasn't really him. Just like how Chibiusa acted when she was turned into… _she stopped herself. _No, no… that's not right. That didn't happen. But it did…_

Setsuna had explained to Usagi before how the flow of time worked. _"Every time the possibility for a major decision arises, multiple future paths are opened. No matter which you choose, both futures exist. That is how your memories of future events that your actions as Sailor Moon have changed still remain." _It was all very complicated and difficult for Usagi to grasp, but she understood from this that _somewhere_, Chibiusa must still exist. _How else could I have ever met her? _

She kept walking, still confused. She thought back to when she made her choice, to be with Dimande. _I had collapsed after using all my power to expel Chaos once again. When I opened my eyes, Dimande was there, his face so close, his eyes welling up with tears. He leaned closer, and kissed me. I knew then. _She tried to think of Mamoru's face. _I can't remember anything… anything after that kiss. Why can't I remember? How could I have left Mamo-chan? _ Suddenly, she felt herself bump into someone.

"Odango! Watch where you're going!"

She looked up, surprised by the voice that she heard. "Seiya! What are you doing here?" Without thinking, she leaped up and hugged him.

….

_I've been sitting at Crown, talking with Seiya, for a long time. I hadn't seen him since he returned home, all those years ago. It's so wonderful to see a face from my past… _

Seiya smiled at Usagi, still looking at her with all the love that he felt when he had left. "So a lot has changed since I last saw you… what happened?"

"Well, there was this battle, and then, it all happened before I knew it… and he…" Usagi stumbled on her words, at a loss for what to say.

"No, I mean what happened to _you_?" Seiya looked her directly in the eyes. "You used to be so sure…. You knew right away that I wasn't the one for you, didn't you?"

"Seiya," Usagi started, recalling the conversation they had years earlier. "I _did _love you…"

"Yes, I know you loved me," Seiya replied, still smiling. "You've always been full of love, for everyone… but if there was one person that you loved more than anything and anyone else, it was Mamoru. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't fill the void he left. I knew better than to even try to break you two apart once I realized that. Your bond overcame death, and crossed time."

Her lip began to quiver, and she fought the urge to cry. "Wait… what did you say?" _Crossed time… _

….

Usagi returned back to her home, feeling slightly more sure of herself than when she had left.

"Oh, you're back! You had just missed Makoto, she delivered this lovely cake she had baked for Peridot! She was disappointed that you weren't home…" Dimande paused and looked at Usagi. "Are you feeling any better?"

"I ran into Seiya, actually!" Noticing Dimande's confused expression, she explained. "You remember, he was who comforted me when Mamo-chan was…"

"Right. You had told me about Sailor Star Fighter. But that can't be possible… to travel across the galaxy like that…" _There's no way that the Sailor Starlights would come here, for apparently no reason, without even having told the Senshi._

"You're right…" _It's almost like he knew I was feeling confused, and came to help me… but how could that be? Was that whole conversation in my imagination? I don't even know anymore… Something strange is going on…_

….

"Is anyone here?" Usagi knocked on the door again. "You're sure he's still living in this apartment, right, Rei?"

"Of course, Usagi," she rolled her eyes. "I made certain that he was still here before agreeing to come with you."

"Right," Usagi responded. "Thank you, for coming to support me." Usagi clung to Rei's arm, feeling her warmth and strength, as if to make sure that she was real, that all of it was real. _I needed to come here, but I couldn't go alone. I'm so lucky to have so many friends who still support me, and protect me, even after all this time._

The door suddenly opened. His initial pleasant demeanor turned to that of shock. "Usako?"

Usagi had to fight the urge to leap into his arms. "I need to ask you about… what happened."

….

"Well, we had always agreed that we would never choose to be together solely because of the baggage of our past lives… Of course I never stopped loving you, Usako, but I knew that you had to be free to make your own choice, without feeling dictated by destiny. With everything that had happened, with Chibiusa appearing so early on in our relationship, our learning of our whole future so quickly… I understood the desire to break away from that. And accepted it," Mamoru explained to Usagi as he handed her a cup of tea.

_I did always feel conflicted about that… I never felt comfortable with knowing my whole future was already decided. But I love Mamo-chan so much; I just pushed my concerns aside. They were still there, though. And yet, I still keep coming back to him, even now._

"You needed to figure out what your life would be like if it wasn't dictated by destiny," he continued, seeing the confusion and distress on Usagi's face. "And I was—_am_—wiling to wait for you to figure that out."

"But why can't I remember…?"

….

"Usagi?"

She looked up to see Dimande standing beside her. He bent down, bringing his lips closer to hers.

He kissed her. _For the last time. And for what feels like the first time. _"This isn't right, is it?" he asked, still keeping close to her, scanning her face.

Tears streamed down her cheeks. She shook her head. "No… this isn't right."

Dimande nodded. _Somehow, I've always known. _"I'm sorry," he whispered, crying.

Usagi closed her eyes. _This isn't the future I chose. Not this time, anyway._


	25. Chapter 25: Resolution

**Chapter Twenty-Five**: **Resolution**

Usagi slowly opened her eyes. "I'm sorry…" she mumbled.

Still leaning over her, getting ever closer to her lips, Dimande suddenly felt a rush of energy go through him as he watch Usagi awaken. _I can't kiss her after all, can I? _He nodded, looking down at her smiling, but with tears streaming down his face. "Thank goodness, you're awake," was all he could say.

She sat up and started to look around. "I'm back…?" _Was it all just a dream…? _She looked at Dimande and sensed that somehow, he _knew. _

Dimande sighed. _I suppose that it was not meant to be… not in this life._ He put out his hand to Usagi once more. "Come on, we should go. Everyone is waiting for us."

….

Usagi knocked on the door, waiting nervously outside. When the door opened and Mamoru appeared, she couldn't resist leaping into his arms. "You're alright! Thank goodness!" she started to cry.

"Usako, I knew that you would be able to do it," Mamoru smiled. He looked around. "Did someone come here with you?"

"Yes— Dimande, do you want to…" she looked behind her and noticed that he was gone. _That's strange… _"Oh. I guess he left."

Mamoru shrugged as he put his arm around Usagi's shoulder. _I had wanted to thank him… He did protect her, and support her, in my place… and even after all of that, he brought her back to me. _

….

"You came back to me!" Petz exclaimed as she watch Saphir walk up the steps to her door.

"Of course I did," he smiled. "It was your words that were able to get me through."

She wrapped her arms around him. "And it was _your_ words that got me through," Petz responded as she kissed the man she had always loved.

Saphir started to recall what had happened in the labyrinth, remembering the mysterious words spoken by Sailor Pluto before she collapsed: "_I see two future paths that have opened for you and for the Princess." But nothing seems to have changed. I still wonder, though…_ Still hugging Petz, Saphir looked up and saw Dimande standing on the pathway in front of the house.

Feeling his body tense, Petz let go of Saphir. "What's wrong?"

Saphir was no longer listening to her. He walked over to Dimande who stood before him looking incredibly confused and distraught. "Brother? Is something distressing you?"

_I couldn't stay, it was too painful. But I saw what I needed to: she was happy with him, and he truly cares for her. _Dimande looked Saphir directly in the eyes and laughed to himself. _Something still bothers me._ _It's strange…_"I don't even know how to articulate this. But as Usagi was waking up after the battle, something happened. I have these memories…"

Saphir led his older brother into the house, helping him to sit down at the kitchen table so he could feel more relaxed. "What sort of memories?" _I think I know where this is going…_

"How can I say this? It makes absolutely no sense," Dimande said, irritated at his own inability to understand the memories. _But then again, what in my life makes sense? _"I remember a life that I have never lived. That I never will live. A future path, where I didn't hold back, and instead I kissed Usagi that time. And everything was different…"

Saphir nodded, finally understanding everything. _The second path that had opened up for my brother and Usagi, it does exist. That he has memories proves that it is real. _"Remember what Pluto had said, brother? That there was more than one path that you and Usagi could choose?"

"Yes, her words continue to run through my mind, even now. But then I wonder if it may have just been my own wishful thinking that caused the vision. Is it really possible to hold memories from a future that will never happen?"

Saphir frowned at his brother, suddenly serious. "There's something that I never told you about… from the night when we were reborn." _I was afraid to. I didn't want it to be true… and for it to allow for his obsession with Usagi to take him away from me again. But it's time I told him the truth, about the people I encountered that night, and the whisper I heard linger in the air…_

….

"Usako, there's someone here who wanted to see you," Mamoru spoke softly into his lover's ear. "You can come out now!" he called back into his bedroom.

"Is that…?" Usagi started to cry as she saw locks of pink hair flowing through the doorway. She gasped as she watched a much older Chibiusa than she had expected make her way over to Usagi.

"Usagi!" Chibiusa cried, running over to her future mother with open arms and tears in her eyes.

"You're still here, after all!" Usagi exclaimed through the tears. "Thank goodness, I thought I had lost you."

Chibiusa looked at Usagi knowingly. "You saw it, didn't you? The other future that you chose?"

Usagi was shocked by Chibiusa's response. _So she knew… but of course she would know. She must have been so worried…_ "What do you mean, that I _chose_? I didn't choose it: I'm here and you're here, aren't you?"

Helios stepped into the room and stood behind Chibiusa. "Please, allow me to explain: while you did make a different choice, that future still exists because somewhere you also made that choice. It is a difficult concept to understand, but just know this: both futures exist. You are now on the path to the future you have always known. But that does not make the other one you saw any less real."

"And yes, that means that Peridot still lives, if nowhere else, in your memories and in your heart," Chibiusa put her hand over her heart and looked down. "And in my own."

Usagi finally understood. _This is the future that I am most needed in. That's why I was called back. I still lived that other life, somewhere, somehow. I had to. Otherwise I never would have known a life not dictated by destiny. As much as I wanted to break free from that, I know that I need to live this life. And what's more than that, _"I love you, Mamo-chan."

"What's this, so suddenly?" Mamoru joked, reaching over to caress Usagi's soft cheek.

"It's not because of the past life we spent together, or the destiny that I know we are meant to have. Somewhere during all that bickering when we first met, in this life, I fell in love with you—for who _you are_, and no other reason," she smiled. She pulled Chibiusa, Helios, and Mamoru in close to her with her long arms, hugging them all tightly.

….

After learning of the visit by Chibiusa and Helios on the night that he and Saphir were brought back to life, Dimande finally understood. "Now I understand everything: why we were revived, why it all had to happen as it did…"

_I was revived because of Usagi's unconscious regret, her desire to let me live a life free of Wiseman's corruption and set on the path of good. The Silver Crystal reacts to her heart. And despite all I had done, the love she has is so pure that she wanted even me to be happy. Saphir and Petz, too, deserved to be happy. _

_But it was more than that. Usagi needed to see what a life without fate would have been like. But now I see that even that freedom was determined by destiny, giving the Silver Crystal the power to provide a new life for me, and set off this chain of events. _

Looking at Saphir, who smiled as Petz placed his hand placed on her belly, laughing excitedly, Dimande thought back to what felt like eons ago, but what still lay in the future ahead. He recalled the first time he had set his eyes on the magnificent goddess who ruled over Crystal Tokyo, Neo Queen Serenity.

_That look of hate in her eyes… looking past me, as though I were not even human. That look was not for me at all, was it? She knew all along about this life we could have shared together, that in some other time and space we did have together. Her hatred was not for me, but for the darkness that had clouded my soul, for the actions I did, but that were not truly mine. She was angry that it had to happen that way. She was concerned for me. _

"Brother?" Saphir spoke, excitement still in his voice because of the news he had just learned of from Petz. "She really does love you, you know."

"I know," Dimande replied. _Somewhere, I am living a happy life with her. But there was more that she had to do, another life she was meant to live. And another man who had captivated her heart even more than I did. I have come to accept that, and I am content with the future that I only have memories of, but that I know exists. _

The last words that Dimande spoke at the end of his last lifetime continued to repeat over and over in his mind as he came to accept that he had come to yet another ending, but also another second chance. "Sailor Moon… I love you."

_The End_

_Thank you to everyone who has supported and inspired me during the writing process of this story! I couldn't have done it without you._


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